MPs shoot down beneficiation motion

GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer | Sunday May 26, 2013 00:00

 

Three weeks ago, when the motion first came to Parliament, it seemed assured of smooth passage as both opposition and ruling party MPs supported the motion.

Two weeks ago, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo, turned the tables when he sought to amend Makgalemele's motion to request development of a beneficiation policy in lieu of a law. 

Matambo's motion failed then but in the interim, his argument, that Botswana needs to be more pragmatic in its approach to the beneficiation drive, seems to have gained some supporters in legislators like Bernard Bolele and Phandu Skelemani, as well as Vice-President Ponatshego Kedikilwe.

In his debate Skelemani, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, opposed the motion on the basis that it was unclear what the law would entail.  He said it was worrisome that members who had debated before him seemed to confuse beneficiation with citizen empowerment. 

New Mahalapye West MP Bolele said the fact that debates on the motion had been all over the place illustrated the need for a beneficiation policy to precede a law. He said Parliament seeking to pass a law, in the absence of a policy, would be like skipping three stages, as a policy would inform the law.  A policy would also set a framework in which beneficiation would be married to other policies such as those on citizen economic empowerment, he said.

Bolele, who asked Makgalemele to withdraw the motion, cautioned that a beneficiation law would lessen Botswana's competitive advantage.

Kedikilwe, who outlined the strides that government has made to derive maximum benefits from diamonds, also called for pragmatism, saying Botswana should 'retain the stability and predictability it is known for as an investment destination'.

Giving his response to the debates before the vote was taken, Makgalemele said he was happy that his motion had shown that legislators saw the merits of beneficiation. He said he was hopeful that the executive would pursue the beneficiation agenda more seriously. 

He reiterated the need for a law, saying that he had brought many motions for policies which the House had passed, but from which he had seen no action yet.