Africa-Press – Botswana. The newly constituted Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services on Wednesday received an approval of over P1 billion budget for the 2025/26 financial year.
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Nelson Ramaotwana said approximately P1billion would be utilised for recurrent budget with an additional P72 million set aside for development expenditure.
He said the ministry formalised in November 2024, operated through core units such as the Department of Judicial and Legal Services and independent statutory bodies such as the Attorney General’s Chambers, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Administration of Justice and Correctional Services among others.
He said key budget allocations included P25 million for the refurbishment of prison facilities, P10 million for prison farming infrastructure and equipment and P11.1 million for public private partnership (PPP) projects such as the Lobatse Rehabilitation Centre, Prison headquarters building and staff housing.
Mr Ramaotwana said P7.8 million would be utilised for the completion of the Legal Aid office and upgrading of the information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. He said government was working on transforming the criminal justice system to enforce human rights, improve access to justice and align the legal framework with international best practice.
He said guidelines on gender mainstreaming within the criminal justice system had been developed to remove gender related barriers and promote inclusivity. The amendment of the Anti-Human Trafficking Act in 2024 as well as the Anti-Human Trafficking National Action Plan 2023-28 guided the country’s response to what he called “a heinous crime” with P2.5 million secured from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to support the cause.
Furthermore, Mr Ramaotwana said the ministry was establishing a Justice Forum comprising heads of justice related departments, to serve as a platform for coordination, collaboration and decision making on justice reform.
He said the challenge of backlog of cases as well as conditions of service of attorneys would be assessed.
“To improve access to justice, the ministry will conduct Botswana’s first Legal Needs and Access to Justice Survey, targeting individuals aged 18 or above to assess legal needs, experience and perceptions of justice. The findings will guide policy responses and inform the restructuring of justice services,” Mr Ramaotwana said.
Before unanimously voting in favour of the ministry budget proposal, members of Parliament (MPs) spoke in favour of improving human rights, justice and equity.
Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Mr Ketlhalefile Motshegwa decried the state of the country’s prisons, which he said were overcrowded and had poor facilities, something he said did not bode well for discharging their correctional function of rehabilitating prisoners.
He also said while there had been allegations of criminal suspects being tortured and ill-treated by intelligence officers, the police or prisons officials, going forward all people would be treated in a humane manner while being tried before competent courts of law, and presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Tswapong South legislator Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang said prison warders worked in poor conditions, and called on government to look at improving their condition of service. Dr Gobotswang said Tswapong South constituency required Justice and correctional services facilities such as courts and prisons, and pleaded with government to resolve that situation.
He added that while Namibia had called for reparations and redress for historical injustices meted out against the Herero and Nama peoples during the genocide of 1904-1908 in German South West Africa (present-day Namibia), Botswana had not sought redress for descendants of those communities who fled the country at the time.
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