Parliament defers motion on constitutional amendment

11 November, 2008 in Botswana

source: BOPA
10 November, 2008

PARLIAMENT – Parliament on Friday, deferred a motion calling on government to amend the Constitution and ensure that persons accused of stock theft were denied legal representation.

The motion was deferred after MP for Kweneng East, Maj. Gen. Moeng Pheto proposed an amendment. Gen Pheto suggested that the motion should ask for magistrate courts to have assessors sitting and assisting in all cases of stock theft, instead of calling for the Constitution to be amended.

Tabling the motion, MP for Tonota South, Mr Pono Moatlhodi sought parliament “to request government to amend all relevant and applicable laws with a view to ensuring that there is no legal representation for persons accused of stock theft and further that all such cases be tried only at Tribal Courts.” He said government should protect cattle owners from criminals since cattle are important to the economy of the country. He suggested that people accused of stock theft be tried in magistrate courts in the absence of lawyers.

“The increasing number of cattle in Botswana and their relevance to the economy has led to [continue reading]