Ntlo ya Dikgosi chairperson, Puso Gaborone, has lambasted truant cabinet ministers who failed to attend the House session, saying the legislators were blatantly undermining the authority and integrity of the institution.
For the past two weeks that Dikgosi resumed business, which ended on Friday, the majority of the ministers opted to stay away from the House without providing genuine and convincing reasons, angering the traditional leaders who had hoped their pressing motions and questions would eventually be responded to by the relevant leadership.
Only the assistant minister of Local Government, Botlogile Tshireletso, was available most of the time, trying to give answers to some questions, some of which did not even fall under her ministerial portfolio.
“Honourable Minister, this House is not pleased with the manner in which the majority of your colleagues conducted business with us. Most of our business, which we had hoped would be efficiently and effectively attended to, was not properly effected mainly because your colleagues stayed away from the House without genuine and convincing reasons provided for,” said Gaborone to Tshireletso. “What puzzles me more is that most of the motions and questions that were deferred by the honourable ministers themselves will not be answered or be responded to as agreed because they did not show up, leaving us with no other option except to conclude that they are undermining our authority and the integrity of this House.”
He went on to express dismay over the no show by the ministers and sympathized with Tsireletso for “answering questions that do not even fall under your ministerial duties”.
“I therefore ask you, Honourable Minister, to talk to your colleagues so that an amicable solution can be found for the smooth running of activities in this House,” he concluded.
As a sign that he meant business, Barolong chief, Kgosi Lotlaamoreng II, for his part, would not accept that his questions be answered by an outsider, preferring to defer the question so as to get an appropriate answer from the relevant minister.
Conspicuous in by their absence on Friday were Ministers of Health, Transport and Communications, Agriculture, Defence, Justice and Security.
