06 Feb 2019

Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane has commended Botswana for having started exporting judicial officers. 

Speaking at the opening of the 2019 Legal Year, Justice Rannowane gave examples of former High Court Judge, Justice Key Dingake, who has been appointed judge of Papua New Guinea, Judge Onkemetse Tshosa to the High Court of Lesotho, and former Chief Justice Maruping Dipotelo to the Namibian High Court. 

He also explained that the Botswana High Court was also gradually having more young people being appointed to the bench.

He also congratulated Judges Leatile Dambe and Zibani Makhwade on their appointments to the Court of Appeal, bringing to six the citizen component of that court.

Justice Rannowane also congratulated nine newly appointed judges of the High Court, which had brought exponential growth from eight judges in 1998 to the current 27.

These are Judges Jennifer Dube, Mokwadi Gabanagae, Tshegofatso Mogomotsi, Gabriel Komboni, Itumeleng Segopolo, Ookeditse Maphakwane, Matlhogonolo Phuthego and Reuben Lekorwe. 

In the same vein, he congratulated two newly appointed acting judges of the High Court being Boipuso Tshweneyagae and Abdool Khan. 

Justice Rannowane said it was clear from the appointments that the complement for both the Court of Appeal and High Court benches had been increased substantially to deal with the stubborn accumulating backlog.

He appealed to the nation to accept this as a reality with benefits, which will not rehash, but outweigh any disadvantages. 

On other issues, the Chief Justice explained that they would establish a High Court division in Maun during the second half of this year as the majority of its key stakeholders (police, prisons, prosecutions and attorneys) already have offices established there, to further enhance access to justice. 

He explained that the setting up of the Maun division would reduce the distance travelled and costs incurred by litigants and the public in the Ngamiland, North West, Okavango, Ghanzi and surrounding villages to access the nearest High Court services including the Master’s office some 500 kilometres away in Francistown.

“The time and cost saved will be directed at case disposal and backlog reduction as well as bringing justice closer to the people,” he stressed. 

He also explained that the creation of two additional magistrates’ posts for the Okavango, Ngamiland, North West and Kgalagadi regions and chief magistrate for Extension Two Court in Gaborone, was already receiving consideration. 

Justice Rannowane also warned the culprits who burnt the Mahalapye Magistrate’s Court in October last year that the wrath of the law would visit them upon apprehension and conviction. 

He said though their action(s) was futile in defeating the ends of justice, it dented the economy because they destroyed infrastructure put up at great costs by the nation. 

ends