23/07/2026
On 13 August, a new youth-led platform, Lentswe La Sechaba, will launch at the University of Botswana Library Auditorium, bringing politicians face-to-face with citizens in what organisers describe as the beginning of a nationwide dialogue on one of the country's most significant constitutional questions.
CONCOURT DEBATE GOES TO THE PEOPLE
Youth-led platform to kick-start Botswana's biggest national conversation
The debate over whether Botswana should establish a Constitutional Court is leaving Parliament and heading to the people, as a group of young Batswana launch a platform designed to put citizens at the centre of the national conversation.
On 13 August, a new youth-led platform, Lentswe La Sechaba, will launch at the University of Botswana Library Auditorium, bringing politicians face-to-face with citizens in what organisers describe as the beginning of a nationwide dialogue on one of the country's most significant constitutional questions.
But this is not another one-day panel discussion.
Instead, Lentswe La Sechaba has been designed as a nine-part national dialogue series, with each edition bringing together a different sector of society to examine the Constitutional Court proposal from its own perspective. The opening discussion will feature government representatives and political parties, followed by dedicated dialogues with civil society organisations, the legal fraternity, political party youth leagues, tertiary institutions, ordinary citizens, faith leaders and scholars, before culminating in a Presidential Dialogue featuring the country's highest political leadership.
Project Coordinator Potlako Bogatsu said the initiative seeks to redefine how Botswana engages in national conversations by placing citizens at the centre of the debate.
"Lentswe La Sechaba seeks to give the voice back to the people by creating a platform where every sector of society can engage directly with leaders, experts and one another on issues that shape our country's future. We want national conversations to be inclusive, informed and accessible to every Motswana," Bogatsu said.
He emphasised that the platform is independent and non-partisan, and does not seek to campaign for or against the establishment of a Constitutional Court. Rather, it aims to provide a credible forum where citizens can hear diverse perspectives, ask difficult questions and make informed decisions based on facts.
