29 Jun 2014

In an effort to bring services nearer to the people, the Botswana Legal Aid has opened an office at the Francistown Attorney General’s chambers.

An official, Mr Tebogo Botshelo informed the Chobe full council meeting on June 25 that the Legal Aid also had offices in Gaborone, and people from the Chobe District could access assistance from the Francistown office.

He noted that in the near future, another office will be opened in Maun while in two years’ time a satellite office will start operating in Kasane. Mr Botshelo said Botswana Legal Aid was formed to assist Batswana who could not afford legal representation costs.

Those who needed legal assistance but could not afford have to apply to the office after which an assessment would be done to determine whether they qualified, he said.

Mr Botshelo said during assessment they consider factors such as income, assets, monthly expenditure such as tax, medical aid, rent and pension.

He however, said Botswana Legal Aid only offered representation on family matters, land rights, labour issues, contractual claims and damages.

Mr Botshelo said family matters included divorce, matrimonial issues and child custody while on labour matters they offered representation when the existing procedure of going through the labour office and the industrial court has been followed.

Furthermore, he noted that Legal Aid did not offer representation on criminal matters at magistrate courts, small claims court, defamation issues, adultery matters and breach of promise matters.

He said although they do not offer representation on those matters people are free to visit his offices for advice on how to go about them.

Chief education officer with the Ministry of Education and Skills Developments’ curriculum development and evaluation, Mr Molaodi Menyatso briefed councillors on the Revised Botswana Senior Secondary School blueprint, which he said if approved will clearly articulate and guide the development and implementation of senior secondary education.

Mr Molaodi said the revised programme will replace the objective-based design as its approach is more concerned with the actual demonstration of skills, knowledge and abilities that learners attained as a result of educational experiences.

He said in the new programme the number of subjects has been increased from 27 to 40 in order to broaden the choice for learners and learners could take any combination of subjects that will work for them.

He stated that the programme will be introduced into schools on three phases with the first phase next year and the last phase in 2017.

Contributing, councillor for Chobe Enclave East, Mr Bobby Setlhare applauded the government for introducing Legal Aid to cater for those who could not afford legal representation fees.

He however appealed to Legal Aid to consider broadening their scope of representation by including debts matters. ENDS