COLLAPSE CLAIM BCP’s Gobotswang declares ConCourt drive ‘spectacular failure’ after kgotla meeting
Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, Botswana Congress Party MP, has launched a scathing attack on government’s handling of the Constitutional Court Bill, declaring that the YES vote campaign is “collapsing in spectacular fashion.”
Writing after attending a presentation by Minister of Water and Human Settlement Onnetse Ramogapi at Sefhare Kgotla, Gobotswang said the mood among residents of Sefhare and neighbouring villages such as Mokobeng, Chadibe and Borotsi was unequivocally against the proposal. He accused the minister of disguising a campaign rally as public consultation, insisting that what unfolded was not genuine dialogue but an attempt to sway citizens toward a YES vote.
Gobotswang’s intervention comes after a turbulent legislative journey for the Bill. It was introduced in Parliament and referred to Ntlo ya Dikgosi, which rejected it. Labour federations, civil society organisations and religious bodies also voiced firm opposition, warning that the process lacked transparency and adequate public education. When the Bill returned for Second Reading, only MPs Unity Dow and Pius Mokgware debated it before the Speaker adjourned. On resumption, opposition MPs boycotted the session, leaving President Duma Boko to deliver a lengthy lecture on constitutional law before the Bill was rushed through Second and Third Readings.
The legislation is now in a constitutionally mandated three‑month cooling‑off period before returning to Parliament for a final vote and then proceeding to a national referendum requiring a two‑thirds majority. No amendments will be permitted once the referendum is held. Gobotswang argues that the ministerial consultations taking place during this period are a farce, an afterthought and a wasteful expenditure of public funds aimed solely at campaigning for a YES vote. His remarks echo broader opposition sentiment that the government is pushing constitutional reform without genuine consensus, while civil society groups continue to warn that the Bill is being rushed at the expense of pressing national priorities.
By framing the consultations as a sham and highlighting grassroots rejection in villages, Gobotswang has positioned himself as one of the most vocal critics of the ConCourt proposal, adding momentum to the growing NO vote movement that could determine the fate of the Bill when it reaches the referendum stage. He is on facebook full time, post after post, condemning efforts to push the burning issue through.
