Influx of Tswanas forced Gantsi to terminate Basarwa services
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Basarwa case raises tribalism issues at the High Court
Tribalism could have played a part in determining the termination of basic services for Ranyane residents in the Gantsi District, the Gaborone High Court has been told.
When explaining to the court the reasons behind shutting down water and draught relief programmes from Ranyane ahead of the forced resettlement of Basarwa tribes from the area last year, the Gantsi administration authority suggested that it was because the free services which were initially reserved for Basarwa tribes of Ranyane were no longer sustainable due to the influx of Tswana speaking farmers in the area.
The Gantsi District Council revealed to the court that the decision to terminate provision of fuel and maintenance to the engine at Ranyane was taken because of the influx of a lot of Tswana speaking farmers from other settlements. According to the Council the services were exclusively meant to service Basarwa tribes who have lived in the area over a long period of time.
The 115 residents of Ranyane who are demanding the restoration of the services have taken the Council to court. Their attorney, Onalethata Kamabai has argued that the reason for termination of the services as appears from the Council papers are offensive to the constitution of the country because they suggests that the decisions were taken along tribal discriminatory basis.
For many years, the Gantsi District Council has provided various services to the Ranyane residents including provision and maintenance for the borehole engine which the people depend on for their daily water needs. Various government drought relief schemes have also been provided to the residents for many years by the Council.
However on or around July 2013, the Council announced that it will stop providing several services which it has been providing to the residents. This announcement gave rise to the present suit wherein the residents seek restoration of those services that the Council used to provide. Such services include fuel and maintenance of the borehole engine, mobile clinic and Ipelegeng programme.
The broad issue for determination before court is whether the manner of termination of these services and other benefits which the Council used to provide to Ranyane is lawful.
“The applicants case centres on legitimate expectation, and to this end the narrow issue for determination is whether the applicants had a legitimate expectation that they will continue to enjoy the services provided by the respondents uninterrupted and that in the event of any decision adversely affecting their enjoyment of the services is taken by the respondent, they were entitled to a hearing before such a decision is taken,” contended Kambai.
THE BOREHOLE ENGINE
The residents have averred in their affidavit that since around 1990s, the Council has been providing them with engine to provide water for domestic use and watering their animals. The engine was used to draw water from the only borehole at Ranyane for residents.
The issue that the Council had since 1995 provided diesel and maintenance for engine to the Ranyane borehole is not disputed. The residents averred that the Council stopped provision of diesel and maintenance for the borehole engine in the first week of December 2011. The engine according to the complainants was removed by the Council employees around that time and was brought back five Months later. The engine has since broken down and the residents had to fend for themselves.
According to them this is a nightmare for them since most of them are unemployed and do not have any source of income as the Council has also terminated the draught relief programme, Ipelegeng which was the only source of income for the majority of Ranyane residents.
The Council’s decision is viewed to be in violation of the international consensus on the right to water by the United Nations General Assembly which declared that the right to safe and clean drinking water is a fundamental human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.
However the Council contends that the Ranyane residents had borrowed the engine and made an undertaking that they will take full responsibility of its maintenance and fuel supply.
TERMINATION OF IPELEGENG PROGRAMME
Around 2009, Ipelegeng was introduced at Ranyane during a kgotla meeting. According to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, this programme was aimed at short term employment support and relief whilst at the same time carrying out essential development projects that have been identified and prioritised through the normal development planning process.
The programme employed forty residents on a rotational basis. The Council’s report for 2012/2013 on Ipelegeng shows that there was deliberate planning and budgeting of the programme at Ranyane.
When the programme was terminated, a certain Council employee was sent to inform the Ranyane Headman of Arbitration that he should inform his people that they should not report for duty on the 4th of July 2013. In the answering affidavit filed at the High Court, the Council contend that the programme was terminated because Ranyane is an unrecognised settlement and therefore there were no projects to implement in the area.
However the residents contend that at the time of the termination of the programme they were engaged in a number of projects including, de-bushing, cluster policing and cleaning the kgotla.
In fact it is through Ipelegeng that a kgotla, flush toilet, standpipe and fencing of the grave yard were constructed in the settlement.
The Council had a difficult time convincing the court as to how public funds were used on these developments which are located on an “unrecognised settlement.”
“The respondent’s reason is palpably untrue and contradictory because by virtue of Annexure “I” the Attorney General at the time acting on behalf of the respondent (Council) reasoned that there is no Ipelegeng in Ranyane. In annexure “K” the government spokesperson Dr. Jeff Ramsay stated that there was a reassessment regarding the Ipelegeng programme. There has never been any progress report of the alleged reassessment whatsoever to date,” the complainants’ attorney, Onalethata Kambai told the court.
The inconsistent statements regarding the termination of Ipelegeng at Ranyane therefore gave people a reason to conclude that the project was terminated as an extra-judicial measure to starve the residents of Ranyane and compel them to relocate from the place.
When Ipelegeng was introduced in the settlement back in 2009, there was no issue of the place being unrecognised settlement. The programme continued uninterrupted until it was unceremoniously terminated in 2013 following the Council’s failed bid to relocate the residents against their will to the nearby Bere settlement.
MOBILE CLINIC SERVICES
Following the initial case Management conference held at the Gantsi District Council Chambers of record, there was consensus that the mobile clinic matter could amicably be resolved at the hearing. Ranyane is said to be now receiving a couple of mobile clinic services and therefore this one demand was taken down from the list of demand brought in by the residents.
Meanwhile Justice Terrence Rannowane has reserved the judgment on this matter.
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The curtain came down at the PAP session with pomp and FUNFAIR
It was pomp and funfair at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) on March 18 as the African Cultural Music and Dance Association (ACUMDA) brought the curtains down on the PAP session with a musical performance.
The occasion was the celebration of the Pan-African Parliament Day (PAP Day) which commemorated the inauguration of the first Parliament of the PAP on 18 March 2004 at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The celebrations took place at the seat of the Parliament in Midrand to “reflect on the journey” as the institution turns 19. The event sought to retrace the origin and context of the establishment of the PAP.
The celebrations included musical performances by ACUMDA and a presentation by Prof. Motshekga Mathole of the Kara Heritage Institute on “Whither Pan-Africanism, African Culture, and Heritage.”
The PAP Day was officially launched in 2021 to educate citizens about the Continental Parliament and ignite conversations about its future in line with its mandate.
The establishment of the PAP among the AU organs signalled a historical milestone and the most important development in the strengthening of the AU institutional architecture. It laid solid groundwork for democratic governance and oversight within the African Union system and provided a formal “platform for the peoples of Africa to get involved in discussions and decision-making on issues affecting the continent.”
The genesis of the PAP can be legally traced back to 1991 with the adoption of the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community, adopted on June 3, 1991, in Abuja (also known as the Abuja Treaty). This treaty defined the pillars and grounds for realizing economic development and integration in Africa and called for the creation of a continental parliament, among a set of other organs, as tools for the realization of African integration and economic development. This call was reemphasized in the Sirte Declaration of 1999, which called for the accelerated implementation of the provisions of the Abuja Treaty.
PAP celebrated its ten years of existence in March 2014, a year which coincided with the adoption, on June 27, 2014, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, of the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union relating to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP Malabo Protocol), which, once in force, will transform the PAP into a legislative body of the AU. It requires a minimum of 28 countries to ratify it before it comes into force.
Therefore, the commemoration of PAP Day serves as a reminder to the decision-makers around the continent to fulfil their commitment to the PAP by ratifying its Protocol, 19 years after sanctioning its establishment. 14 AU member states have so far ratified the Malabo Protocol.
The celebrations of PAP Day coincided with the closing ceremony of the sitting of the PAP Permanent Committees and other organs. The Sitting took place in Midrand, South Africa under the AU theme for 2023, “Accelerating the implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)” from 6 to 17 March 2023.
PAP President, H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, expressed appreciation to members for their commitment during the two-week engagement.
“We have come to the end of our program, and it is appropriate that we end on a high note with the PAP Day celebrations.
“We will, upon your return to your respective countries, ensure that the work achieved over the past two weeks is transmitted to the national level for the benefit of our citizens,” concluded H.E. Chief Charumbira.
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PAP needs to priorities land issues-Prof Mathole
Prof Motshekga Mathole of the Kara Heritage Institute has advised the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to prioritise the land issue in the continent if they are to remain relevant.
He said this while addressing the Plenary during the commemoration of PAP Day held at the PAP Chambers in Midrand, South Africa
The PAP Day was officially launched in 2021 to commemorate the inauguration of the first Parliament on 18 March 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Intended as a platform for people of all African states to be involved in discussions and decision-making on problems and challenges facing the continent.
In a speech titled “Whither Pan-Africanism, African Culture, and Heritage,” Prof Mathole stated that for PAP to remain relevant, it must address the continent’s key land dilemma, which he feels is the core cause of all problems plaguing the continent
“If this Parliament is to be taken seriously, ownership of land and natural resources must be prioritized at the national and continental levels. Africans are not poor; they are impoverished by imperialist nations that continue to hold African land and natural resources,” said Prof Mathole.
“When African leaders took power from colonialists, they had to cope with poverty, unemployment, and other issues, but they ignored land issues. That is why Africa as a whole is poor today. Because our land and minerals are still in the hands of colonizers, Africa must rely on Ukraine for food and Europe for medical.”
Prof Mathole believes that the organization of the masses is critical as cultural revolution is the only solution to Africa’s most problems.
“We need a cultural revolution for Africa, and that revolution can only occur if the masses and people are organized. First, we need a council of African monarchs since they are the keepers of African arts, culture, and heritage. We need an African traditional health practitioners council because there is no ailment on the planet that cannot be healed by Africans; the only problem is that Africans do not harvest and process their own herbs,” he said.
Meanwhile, PAP President, H.E. Hon Chief Fortune Charumbira expressed satisfaction with the commitment displayed throughout the two-week period and said the PAP Day celebrations were befitting curtains down to the august event.
“On this high note of our two-week engagement, it is appropriate that we close our program on a high note with PAP celebrations, and I would like to thank everyone for your commitment, and please continue to be committed,” said H.E Hon Chief Charumbira.
PAP’s purpose as set out in Article 17 of the African Union Constitutive Act, is “to ensure the full participation of African people in the development and economic integration of the continent”. As it stands, the mandate of the Parliament extends to consultation and playing an advisory and oversight role for all AU organs pending the ratification protocol.
Also known as the Malabo Protocol, the Protocol to the consultative act of the AU relating to the PAP was adopted at the Assembly of Heads of State and Government summit in June 2014 and is intended to extend the powers of the PAP into a fully-fledged legislative organ. It requires a minimum of 28 countries to ratify it before it comes into force.
The commemoration of the PAP Day, therefore, serves as a reminder to the decision-makers around the continent to fulfil their commitment to the PAP by ratifying its Protocol, 17 years after sanctioning its establishment. 14 AU member states have so far ratified the Malabo Protocol.
The PAP Day commemoration also aims to educate citizens about the PAP and ignite conversations about the future of the continental Parliament in line with its mandate.
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DPP drops Kably threat to kill case
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Letlhakeng/Lephephe Liakat Kably has welcomed the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP)’s decision not to prosecute BDP councillor, Meshack Tshenyego who allegedly threatened to kill him. However, the legislator has warned that should anything happen to his life, the state and the courts will have to account.
In an interview with this publication, Kablay said he has heard that the DPP has declined to prosecute Tshenyego in a case in which he threatened to kill him adding that the reasons he received are that there was not enough evidence to prosecute. “I am fine and at peace with the decision not to prosecute over evidential deficits but I must warn that should anything happen to my life both the DPP and the Magistrate will have to account,” Kablay said.
Connectedly, Kably said he has made peace with Tshenyego, “we have made peace and he even called me where upon we agreed to work for the party and bury the hatchet”.
The DPP reportedly entered into a Nolle Prosequi in the matter, meaning that no action would be taken against the former Letlhakeng Sub-district council chairperson and currently councillor for Matshwabisi.
According to the charge sheet before the Court, councilor Tshenyego on July 8th, 2022 allegedly threatened MP Kably by indirectly uttering the following words to nominatedcouncilor Anderson Molebogi Mathibe, “Mosadi wa ga Liakat le ban aba gagwe ba tsile go lela, Mosadi wame le banake le bone ba tsile go lela. E tla re re mo meeting, ka re tsena meeting mmogo, ke tla mo tlolela a bo ke mmolaya.”
Loosely translated this means, Liakat’s wife and children are going to shed tears and my wife and kids will shed tears too. I will jump on him and kill him during a meeting.
Mathibe is said to have recorded the meeting and forwarded it to Kably who reported the matter to the police.
In a notice to the Magistrate Court to have the case against Tshenyego, acting director of Public Prosecutions, Wesson Manchwe cited the nolle prosequi by the director of public prosecution in terms of section 51 A (30) of the Constitution and section 10 of the criminal procedure and evidence act (CAP 08:02) laws of Botswana as reasons for dropping the charges.
A nolle prosequi is a formal notice of abandonment by a plaintiff or prosecutor of all or part of a suit or action.
“In pursuance of my powers under section 51 A (300 of the Constitution and section 10 of the criminal procedure and evidence act (CAP 08:02) laws of Botswana, I do hereby stop and discontinue criminal proceedings against the accused Meshack Tshenyego in the Kweneng Administrative District, CR.No.1077/07/2022 being the case of the State vs Tshenyego,” said Manchwe. The acting director had drafted the notice dropping the charges on 13th day of March 2023.
The case then resumed before the Molepolole Magistrate Solomon Setshedi on the 14th of March 2023. The Magistrate issued an order directing “that matters be withdrawn with prejudice to the State, accused is acquitted and discharged.”