Hardly a year following her spectacular ascendancy to the powerful seat as Speaker of the House, Margaret Nasha is to assume, with immediate effect, another role as member of the Pan African Parliament.
The post fell vacant following the unceremonious resignation of Botsalo Ntuane as member this week.
Leading the four male-dominated parliamentary entourage to South Africa to attend the body’s session last week, contrary to the part of the PAP regulations, which encourages gender balanced participation by signatories, Botswana would send Ntuane and his group of Mosaraela Goya Tshelang Masisi, Isaac Mabiletsa and Phillip Makgalemele, who were eventually snubbed by the organization, resulting in Ntuane quitting the post to pave way for a woman, while debutants Mabiletsa and Makgalemele were ultimately sworn in.
The organization would not swear in the new entrants because Botswana, as a signatory, would have contravened Section 4 (2) of the protocol, which stipulates that each member state shall be represented by five members, one of whom must be a woman without dual ministerial duties.
Briefing the press Thursday, Makgalemele indicated they were caught at fault of their making.
“We are left with no choice by to nominate a woman and keep the ball rolling. The replacement in this scenario is none other Margaret Nasha, who is the only prospective woman in parliament. All other women have been engaged in their ministerial posts and therefore Nasha is the only alternative,” Makgalemele said.
Citing countries like Swaziland, he pointed out that other countries had also found themselves in the same dilemma in previous meetings but opted for the Speaker.
“It is a sign of precedence; we have no choice but to follow the systems adopted by our counterparts, including Swaziland, among others,” Makgalemele, who is MP for Shoshong, said.
Nasha has headed various ministries in her political life, whose span includes the Presidential Affairs and Local Government.
She was unanimously nominated the Speaker of the National Assembly late last year to become the first woman speaker since the country became independent forty-six years ago.
Instituted in March 2005, the teetering PAP deals with issues afflicting the continent, including the decadence of democracy, social issues such the spiraling unemployment and civil wars, among others.
The organization, however, is riddled with many insurmountable problems, chief amongst them being the failure to legislate its powers.
