- Botswana Council of Churches says it was never consulted
- Minister says several churches were consulted before and after elections
- Govt working on special board for disputes with churches
GAZETTE REPORTER
The recent amendment to the Societies Act has divided churches, with some opposed to the required threshold of 20 persons to register a church.
In the midst of this, the Botswana Council of Churches (BCC) has urged the government to engage the organisation and amend the Societies Act in a comprehensive manner.
According to the president of BCC, Mothusi Letlhage, the organisation was not consulted prior to the government’s decision, leading to dissatisfaction among member affiliates who feel excluded from the process.
BCC not consulted
“We were never consulted before the government made its pronouncement on the review of the Societies Act,” Letlhage told The Botswana Gazette.
Letlhage emphasised that instead of a piecemeal approach, the government should consider a full review of the Societies Act because member organisations are dissatisfied with some of the existing clauses.
“There is a lot to discuss with government regarding the Societies Act,” he noted. “We hope they will be receptive to the ideas we bring forward so that BCC feels included in the process.
“We are hopeful that after our engagement, the government will continue to consult the BCC on matters affecting member associates.”
Threshold
According to the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Pius Mokgware, the Umbrella for Democratic Change engaged several churches before and after the general elections and that most were in agreement that the threshold should be increased.
Mokgware said as a result of the engagement the Societies Act was amended in the last sitting of Parliament to 20 members required to form a church.
“Those in disagreement want their churches to be the only ones in existence, but we should ask ourselves about what the country’s constitution says about freedom of worship.” he said.
Several names
Mokgware disclosed that the government is working on appointing an advisory body to look into disputes with churches and that several names have already been submitted for such a board.
Passed by Parliament in 2021, the Societies Act aimed to modernise the 1972 Act and to meet standards of the Financial Action Task Force. The Act mandates that all societies, including churches, must re-register by February 2023 or face de-registration.
Notably, the 2022 amendments require two-thirds of an organisation’s office bearers to reside in Botswana, with security clearance reports required for appointment.
Spiritual calling
Additionally, the Act mandates that religious leaders must hold an accredited certificate in theology, which may be difficult for some with only a spiritual calling.
The Act also lowered the minimum number of members required to form a religious society to 150, while other associations must have at least 20 members.
Meanwhile, former president of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), Mookami Motlhagodi, agrees with the government decision because it will encourage the spirit of worship.
Land
He added that previously before the 150 threshold was introduced, churches were allowed to register with only 10 people. “I want to believe that there was consultation and church members agreed that numbers should be increased,” he said.
Motlhagodi appealed to government to allocate land to churches because some are squatters.
Moses Morebodi of the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana has welcomed reducing the number even though they were not consulted.
“We did not understand why the previous government increased the threshold but our belief was that it was done to appease certain people,” he said. “But had the new government come to us, we would have lowered the number to 10.”