Botswana: Row over proposed law barring new churches
Botswana Member of Parliament James Mathekgwane on Monday labelled as “xenophobic” the Societies Amendment Bill that seeks to address the issue of mushrooming churches.Mathekgwane said the Bill was xenophobic because it targeted churches with foreign pastors whom he argued have also been referred to as “economic refugees”.
He added that it was surprising that Botswana had never addressed the issue of missionaries who came and grabbed massive chunks of land that are currently owned by the Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches.
Mathekgwane said the government seemed only concerned about those he referred to as “economic missionaries” because they come from other African countries.
He said that as a Pan Africanist he would not allow a situation where Africans are barred from coming to Botswana.
Lasts week another Member of Parliament Ignatius Moswane from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party broke his spectacles in protest arguing the Bill was discriminatory.
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