- The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) welcomes the decision by Parliament to reject the Constitutional Amendment Bill. This outcome follows significant public outcry, including widespread protests at Parliament, during which citizens were subjected to police brutality for exercising their right to dissent.
- BONELA, along with other civil society organizations, has been at the forefront of advocating for the withdrawal of this Bill. We raised substantial concerns about the lack of openness, inclusive and transparency in the Constitutional Review process. The Bill, in its current form, failed to address critical reforms necessary to safeguard democracy, fundamental rights and the independence of key institutions.
- Our opposition to the Bill was further reinforced by its failure to expand fundamental rights and freedoms. Additionally, the 14-day delay in making hard copies of the Bill available to the public limited meaningful public engagement, violating the 30-day access period mandated by law before the Bill’s first reading in Parliament.
- It is ironic that the proponents of the Bill now assert that Parliament’s decision infringes upon the fundamental human rights of Batswana, when the introduction of the Bill itself failed to genuinely reflect the public’s interests and instead sought to further a concealed agenda. The citizens of Botswana, recognizing this, exercised their right to protest, only to be met with excessive force and unlawful detention for defending their rights.
- BONELA calls for a constitutional review process that is open, inclusive and transparent, and one that genuinely represents the will of the people. While we support constitutional amendments, they must involve the public from the outset. We therefore celebrate the failure of the Bill as a victory for democracy and the protection of human rights.
For more information, contact BONELA on:
Cindy Kelemi at cindyk@bonela.org or 72385054
Katlego Sechele at ksechele@bonela.org or 72282025