The Botswana House of Chiefs, a group of traditional leaders who play an advisory role to parliament, have endorsed proposed freedom of information legislation.
The backing from the House of Chiefs, according to country activists and local media, came following a May 13 presentation about the bill by the Media Institute of South Africa-Botswana Chapter.
In another development, the councilors of Gaborone, Francistown, Gantsi and Jwaneng councils have also thrown their weight behind the bill, a MISA activist informed FreedomInfo.org.
In April, the government postponed work on FOI legislation. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.)
MISA Makes Presentation to Chiefs
Modise Maphanyane of the MISA Botswana chapter addressed the chiefs, describing the value of a FOI law, according to an account by Lerato Maleke in MmegiOnline. Maphanyane said passage “would be it first and crucial step to inculcating a culture of openness and accountability in Botswana,” the article summarized.
The report continued:
The dikgosi welcomed the move and said the law will be in line with the declaration of assets. Reacting to the presentation, a number of chiefs including Kgosi Moeti Moeti said that they are in support of the Freedom of Information Bill because it will allow Batswana to speak for themselves knowing that information is available unlike before. “Our educated children would at least now have a chance to refer to the bill, complain to councils and stop going to courts, once the bill has been passed,” he said.
He added that even civic leaders will not hesitate to speak for their electorate and ask for information since there would be a law protecting them.
Kgosi Basimang Garebakwena quoted a clause in the sacred book, where God complained that: “My people are perishing because of lack of knowledge”. Therefore he said a freedom of information law will pave way for generations to come.
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