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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For you to understand why I am extremely concerned, please look for the letter I wrote to Appeals Division – Office of the President file no PNPC – 0151 / 25.
I have concerns about the way human rights are exercised in Botswana. The nation has developed a ruthless structured definition of this reality where, to global partners and party alliances, its people are defined as enjoying human rights while in reality they are silenced as Egyptians were physical, emotional, financial, developmental and spiritual slaves. We have developed a Pharoah versus Egyptian interpretation of human rights, and we are perpetually perfecting this trend and cascading it to next generations. we undermine persons and employees who are unwilling to be a pact in the culture of abusing and alienating fellow human beings and citizens. The society (including the poor and the vulnerable) have been modernised into a mocking people as repetition of the needy who laughed at the enthusiast by the Pool of Bethsaida who wanted supernatural blessing for his other side of life. Though we meet outside office buildings, we created and continue to mould in-house human capital as Adolf Hitler, that will forever defeat justice, yet justice is the only tool that always liberates the economy and eventually all liberties mankind aspires for.
I am deeply disturbed that schooling and education has no slight abrading effect on the acumen our nation has arched as part of our democracy, to an extent that we are merited to employment and promotion on our ability to represent ideals of Pharoah; we are given special assignments on ability to be magicians and people of divinity like those who opposed Moses and Daniel; we have corrupted prudence with decision making and quality judgment with counsel that gave to advise Pilate which he didn’t accept before execution of Jesus. We are nation that sees one as non-existent, a nation that sees no publicity as outsider, non-affiliated as enemy, non-educated and unworthiness yet we are hungry to feed on whatever comes from the marginalised. I am not going to falter and modify myself to be heard. I am going to write to you and other structures until all the writings i made make noise that is worthy your ears.
In the game of darts there is a point called red bull. Let me get to it and share my grievances with you. I will do so through a summary or headlines. You will cause these from the letter I wrote to Appeals Division and another letter I wrote to Honourable Minister Mohwasa for details. I am referring you to the two Offices so that you can appreciate that indeed Botswana will have no justice for its citizens but will have excellent justice graphite in her books for international community (our modern slave masters) to marvel at works of products of their education. Are we going anywhere with justice for our people? Or our we graduating from Diploma to Masters in making foreign bodies happy? What’s the use in having justice when it doesn’t serve the nation whose materials are used to write the good books?
Examples of matters you need to attend are:
1. The letter PNPC – 0151 / 25 was received by Mr. Moseki. He sent it to his superiors office being Legal Division in Offoce of the President. i followed the letter and Private Secretary Ms. Motsamai who helps Ms. Morupisi (Head of Legal) asked me to go to Permanent Secretary Ms. Chengeta an Ministry of Youth. This far i have not been answered.
2. In the letter PNPC – 0151 / 25 I mentioned that I have been separated from my wife and family by government.
3. Legal Aid has not attended my case but Mariri Attorneys whom they assigned did their part.
4. Legal Aid has conducted my divorce case in a fraudulent manner and i communicated this issue.
5. My Pajero has been kept at Mogoditshane Police Station since 2011 and i have not received any communication so far.
6. Gaborone West Police handled a matter where my children were stolen from our place of residence by a high-profile officer and no action has been taken.
7. Government owes me worker compensation since 2006 and refuses to respond to statutory notice from my lawyer.
8. Water Utilities have stopped water supply at my place since 2018. They went to fix the cause of high meter reading to accept their mistake this year and still didn’t open water.
9. I have reported that a SPY girl deployed to monitor me is now threatening to kill me and the letter in Office of the President is not addressed.
These are a few of many sufferings I suffered personally. I wish you go for the two letters and help address my issues. And I want to be heard as saying justice must be justice in its natural form.
I thank you.