Botswana Citizenship (Amendment) Bill No. 9 of 2020
Published: 10/Jul/2020
CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2020
(Published on 10th July, 2020)
MEMORANDUM
1. A draft of the above Bill, which it is intended to be presented to the National Assembly is set out below.
2. The object of the Bill is to amend the Citizenship Act among others to align the Act with the age of majority set out in the Interpretation Act. In 2010 Parliament amended the Interpretation Act by reducing the age of majority from 21 years to 18 years. The age of majority is a threshold of adulthood and a person who has attained the age of majority assumes full legal capacity and can, without assistance of his or her guardian, enter into a legally binding contract; sue and be sued in his or her own name, etc.
3. Section 9 of the Citizenship Act makes provision for registration of persons under the age of 21 as citizens where the father or mother of such person has become a citizen of Botswana while section 15 makes provision for dual citizenship up to the age of 21.
4. It is therefore proposed that sections 9 and 15 of the Citizenship Act be amended by substituting the words “21 years” with “18 years” so that the provisions are consistent with the age of majority which has been reduced from 21 years to 18 years.
ANNA MARIA MOKGETHI,
Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs.
Download Government Gazette: Botswana Citizenship Amendment Bill No 9 2020