Permanent Secretary to the President and Cabinet Secretary, Eric Molale has written a letter to Speaker of the National Assembly Margaret Nasha denying her permission to travel to South Africa where Nasha is due to arrive as leader of delegation of Southern African heads of parliament, there to observe national elections scheduled for May 7. Molale’s letter is at the instance of President Ian Khama. Last week the General Assembly of Parliament advised the Speaker to seek clarification from the Vice President, Ponatshego Kedikilwe.
As the Leader of the House, Kedikilwe also acts as a link between cabinet and Parliament. Nasha said she would not be talking about the matter until she received clarification from the Vice President on the matter. “I have been advised, and I agree that it will not be proper for me talk about this matter while still waiting for feedback from the Leader of the house,” said Nasha. According to the Government Green Book, which is cited by Molale’s letter, the Speaker has to request for travel permit from the president.
The Green Book is a schedule of executive privileges and benefits as prepared for parliament and cabinet from time to time. In the letter to Nasha, Government says Nasha cannot travel to South Africa to observe elections because a cabinet decision was taken last year following Zimbabwean elections that Botswana will henceforth stop observing elections because SADC was not upholding its own electoral standards. Sunday Standard can however confirm that while in South Africa, Nasha will not be representing Botswana or Botswana Government. Rather she will be representing SADC.
At the General Assembly a number of Members of Parliament observed that Nasha was being slighted for her recently published book in which she came out strongly to criticise President Ian Khama’s leadership style. Some members even said the standoff was in a way foreshadowing a contest for position of Speaker which is expected sometime in November following the General Elections.
Nasha has already said she will put her name up for consideration. But Khama is suspected to be already using proxies to campaign for another woman, Gladys Kokorwe. “It is not clear why Khama would want to stop the Speaker from going to South Africa ÔÇô a friendly neighbor against whom we rely so much,” said one opposition Member of Parliament. Another added that what the Office of the President does not seem to understand is that the Speaker is traveling to South Africa not on Botswana Government mandate, but rather that of SADC member Parliaments. “Even the reporting is done separately.
In her report Nasha will be reporting to SADC secretariat. She will not be heading a Botswana Government delegation, but rather a SADC one. That is what happened even in Zimbabwe. There the Botswana delegation was led my [Mompati] Merafhe while SADC had its own totally different team.”
