08 Mar 2016

Government, with the assistance of consultant from the Commonwealth Secretariat, has developed a draft Sentencing and Alternatives to Imprisonment Policy.

Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi told Parliament on Monday that, “Consultations on the draft policy document with various stakeholders including members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, the judiciary, the Law Society of Botswana and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security and Government Assurances were conducted in 2015.”

Mr Kgathi said his ministry was now in the process of finalising the Policy document following input from these consultations.

The minister explained that currently, there are 885 prisoners, of which 852 are males and 33 are females, awaiting trial in prisons.

He also noted that 36 males have been awaiting trial because of failure to satisfy bail conditions such as failure to provide surety in monetary terms, likelihood of escaping or not abiding by Court Orders and fear of interference with on-going investigations or witnesses,” he said.

The House was informed that 86 people have been awaiting trial for over two years and nine have been awaiting trial for non-violent crimes.

The minister was responding to a question from the Member of Parliament for Selibi Phikwe West, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, who wanted to know the number of people currently remanded in prisons awaiting trial because they could not afford bail money, those remanded for over two years, or for over two years for non-violent crimes.

Mr Keorapetse had also asked about government’s current and future plans for non-custodial solutions. ENDS