Parliament to consider six bills and three policy proposals
Leader of the House, Mr Moeti Mohwasa, has announced that six Bills have completed the necessary preparatory processes and are ready for consideration during the Winter Legislative Meeting.
“The Bills are the Industrial Development Amendment Bill 2026, Alternative Adult Retirement Age Bill 2026, United Nations Strategic Financial Sanctions Bill 2026, Gambling Amendment Bill 2026, National Library Services Bill 2026 and the National Research and Innovation Council Bill 2026,” Mr Mohwasa said at the inaugural official opening of the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the 13th Parliament in Gaborone on Monday.
Mr Mohwasa, who is also Minister for State President, Defence and Security said government would also table three policy proposals, namely the Retirement Migration Policy, National Technical and Vocational Education Training Policy and the National Health Insurance Policy.
For his, part Leader of Opposition, Mr Dumelang Saleshando commended Parliament for providing the opposition an opportunity to address the formal opening of the legislative meeting, saying the move reflected Botswana’s growing democratic maturity.
Responding after the official opening of Parliament on Monday, Mr Saleshando said the occasion marked a historic milestone that recognised the important roles played by both government and the opposition in strengthening democracy.
He said Parliament was the institution where laws were made, government was held accountable and national consensus was built in the interest of the people.
Mr Saleshando pledged that the opposition would continue to support government initiatives that advanced Botswana’s interests while constructively engaging where improvements were needed and opposing policies only when national interest demanded.
He also called for strengthening Parliament’s lawmaking capacity, noting that the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel required additional resources to effectively support Members of Parliament.
He further proposed a publicly accessible dashboard to track the progress of Private Members’ Bills to enhance transparency and accountability.
Mr Saleshando said every Bill brought before Parliament should ultimately improve the lives of ordinary Batswana, adding that citizens expected quality healthcare, better education, employment opportunities and a stronger economy.
He further encouraged Batswana not to lose hope despite prevailing economic and social challenges, saying the opposition remained committed to working with all stakeholders to build a better Botswana. BOPA