08 Aug 2019

Lack of resources is said to be a serious challenge for the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). 

Speaking after the just ended two-day Bail Pitso, DPP Assistant Director, Ms Susan Mangori said DPP will come up with a strategy to implement the recommendations of the Pitso, which was organised by the Attorney General’s Chambers. 

Ms Mangori explained that prosecutors are equipped with the requisite skills before going to court, so that they assist the court to come to an informed judicial judgement or decision. 

She however cautioned that ‘to have a bag full of locusts, there must be cooperation’ as the issue of bail affects everybody.

The Pitso came up with resolutions to achieve specific goals such as enacting a law on bail to consider whether repeat offenders and persons with multiple offences should be granted bail such as when an accused is facing rape, murder, robbery, house breaking charges.

Another recommendations was for the bail law to also consider which types of offences should be considered for bail. 

It also adopted a recommendation to further capacitate the relevant stakeholders such as the DPP, the Botswana Police Service and the Attorney General’s Chambers.

The Pitso also resolved to equip the courts with modern technologies such as real time recording, as well as to embark on public education regarding the general principles on bail and what it entails. 

It also adopted a recommendation to create an easily accessible database to ascertain offenders’ history and come up with a system that will ensure that there was effective monitoring of compliance with bail conditions.

Further it resolved to amend the law regarding remands and accused’s court mention which was said to be tedious for both the courts and prosecutors. 

The Pitso recommended the enactment of a law to allow the state to appeal rulings at the high court and to have more gatherings of this nature.

Closing the Pitso, Deputy Secretary (Justice) in the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Nchunga Nchunga said bail was not the real problem with the general public, but a symptom of the slowness of the whole process right from investigation to trial. 

Mr Nchunga therefore called on all stakeholders to modernise their systems and take advantage of the new technology such as real time recording.

The Pitso comes at a time when intrusive and violent crimes are on the rise and has attracted a lot of public interest because most suspected offenders continue to roam the streets on bail. ENDS