12 Jul 2020

Attorney General(AG), Advocate Abraham Keetshabe has told Public Accounts Committee (PAC)that conditions of employment of lawyers at Attorney General Chambers were less favourable. 

Responding to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), on Friday he said that alone, made it difficult to recruit lawyers to the institution, resulting in Attorney General Chambers hit by shortage of skilled and experienced manpower.

He said Botswana in the Commonwealth countries was rated highly in the drafting profession, adding that prior to COVID-19, Botswana had agreed with the Commonwealth secretary to host other nations for mentoring on drafting.

“Botswana has been losing a large numbers of drafters and it has been very difficult to bring them back, so the Commonwealth has decided that we will take our drafters, to show others,” he said.

Meanwhile Adv Keetshabe said Attorney General Chambers continued to win a number of cases. 

He said in some instances after studying cases they advised government to settle out of court where necessary.

He said after receiving the cases, the office analysed and made determination as to whether to defend or settle out of court. 

“But as  Attorney General Chambers, when we take the case to court to defend, the applicant or plaintiff, withdraw their matters, because they see that we are coming very hard on them,” he said.

On other issues, he said Parliament had a mandate to determine the future of Botswana, by way of promulgating laws. 

He said if legislators  were of the view that Botswana democracy should grow to another level, they have the power to change laws.

A member of PAC Mr Taolo Lucas asked the AG to explain whether it was prudent for him to advice the three arms of government that being the Cabinet, Parliament and the  Judiciary, while Mr Ignatius Moswaane Moswane wanted to know if AG ever advice government in cases that were not winnable. Ends