Oversight Committee to review Skelemani’s Landboard ruling
Speaker of the National Assembly Phandu Skelemani has agreed with Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Kefentse Mzwinila that names of people who had applied for landboard positions should not be mentioned in Parliament.
The Speaker’s ruling was in response to a question asked by Member of Parliament for Maun West, who is also Leader of Opposition, Dumelang Saleshando that had remained unanswered from the 10th of November.
Saleshando had asked if the Minister will avail the full list of members he appointed and the qualifications they hold, as well as the full list of all those that were called for interview.
Skelemani said they had sought interventions from both sides of the House to see whether the
list which is required should be provided.
“If you recall, it was a question of; if you look at it the other way round, the oversight which Parliament has over the Executive will not be frustrated if information such as this one is not provided? That is the one part.
“The other part of course as I reflected on the question, was whether the people whose names obviously the Minister has, will be affected and if affected, in what manner?
“Therefore, the ruling which I am going to give just now has been trying to weigh these two; the oversight by Parliament over the Executive, and the position or rights of individuals who had applied to the ministry or Minister whatever board recommended to the Minister,” said Skelemani.
His conclusion was that of course the Standing Order that the Minister “sort of relied” on at first
does not exist and he cannot be helped.
“My ruling is as follows; I do not believe that the oversight functions of this House will be frustrated if the list is not provided. The oversight can still be implemented.
“Secondly, the persons involved, when they sent in their applications were called for that, some of them might have been, as it happens in some places, applying hoping that either their bosses or some companies will not know they are looking for greener pastures somewhere else.
“So the rights of the people who applied, in my view, ought to be protected. They are not party to what we want to do. So my ruling is that the list of those who have been called for interview does not have to be availed to this House,” the Speaker ruled.
He indicated that what he is going to do is to make sure that this decision is taken to the oversight committee, which must review the decision of the Speaker.
“… And the reason is quite simple, it is because in my view, there are many other boards to see whether in fact this decision is right and cannot be applied right across all boards, which are superintended by any Minister or under any ministry.”
He said first, he had thought, he could easily say no, but he was not able to go through all boards and say they can automatically be covered by his ruling, superintendence, oversight will not be frustrated in all cases.
“This ruling is strictly on this issue and yet I am aware that we have to deal with principle,” he told Parliament.
The Speaker said he is going to take it there so that they can decide whether this ruling should be reversed or thrown away.