“We can fight the virus and win the war without regressing on democratic values, especially transparency and accountability. We’ve not been doing well in that regard as a country for many years, but SoE has made things worse, corruption is thriving under the guise of direct appointments on big tenders. There should be a country and the economy left after COVID-19. We need a robust vaccine rollout to weather the corona storm, not SoE. All interventions to fight Covid don’t need SoE” Dithapelo Koorapetse asserted.
According to today’s order paper, the Vice President- His Honor Slumber Tsogwane will present a motion seeking to extend the State of Emergency (SoE) by another six (6) months from the third time in a row. The motion reads “That this Honourable House resolves to extend its approval of the period of the declaration of Public Emergency by a further six (6) months.”
According to Koorapetse, the State of Public Emergency has postponed democracy. He says there’s little transparency and accountability. Koorapetse says fifty-eight (58) cases of COVID related corruption have been reported to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC). Though Members of Parliament ask questions, he is of the view that those questions and other interventions have not in anyway enhanced democracy during COVID-19, Government, he says, Ministers refuse to give clear answers, they withhold information and sometimes outrightly lie.
“Parliament will this week, possibly Wednesday, rubber-stamp President Masisi’s decision to extend the State of Public Emergency. Already the executive dominated BDP [Botswana Democratic Party] caucus has okayed the decision among other tough measures envisioned. The VP [Vice President] has failed to answer my questions on COVID including what SoE has specifically achieved. We have test kits, ventilators, PPEs [Personal Protective Equipment], beds and health materials shortages. I was told of patients dying because of oxygen short supply in some health facilities. We’ve experienced a surge in deaths and positive cases during SoE. So what did is really achieve? What has been done that couldn’t be attained without SoE?” he lamented.
Koorapetse says it’s high time a specific special law dealing with COVID-19 is formulated, like in other countries such as United Kingdom. Alternatively,he says Public Health Act can rather be ammended than have a rule by decree for more than a year. “It’s bad for our democracy, it’s bad for the economy especially investment, it’s bad for business.” he charged.
