06 Sep 2020

Government will step up efforts to implement the national strategy towards ending Gender Based Violence (GBV).

This was said by Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi, when presenting the ministry’s NDP 11 Mid-Term Review under the thematic chapter on governance, peace and security in Parliament on September 3.

He said key stakeholders and service providers would be engaged to develop community conversations for comprehensive interventions to (GBV) as a national priority. 

“The national prioritisation of GBV will ensure that all sectors and stakeholders are fully committed and capacitated to address this national scourge,” he stated. 

He said during the second half of NDP 11, one of the priorities for government would be to fast track the roll out and implementation of the National Monitoring and Evaluation System (NMES) to improve efficiency, particularly in the public sector. He said in an effort to compliment international indices on Botswana, localised governance and democracy indices would be developed to ensure relevant intervention and remedial measures aligned to real challenges affecting Batswana.  

Mr Mmusi said in line with the new result oriented approach, more focus would be given to data management and security, capacity building and human resource development, succession planning, leadership development, and a national corporate governance code.   

Furthermore, he said government would develop a national security strategy encompassing human security, cyber security, energy security, economic security, water security, food security, land security,

In so doing, he said Botswana would ensure permanent non-violation of national territory and its effective control by employing all available national instruments.

“We will continue to nurture and foster bilateral relations with neighbouring countries, international and strategic partners to advance issues of national interest. 

This include the implementation of the South-South Cooperation Strategy to promote political and economic cooperation and integration, as well as forging strategic partnerships at regional and multi-lateral levels,” he said.

Parliament also learnt that implementation of Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Financing of Terrorism and Counter Proliferation Financing Laws was ongoing to facilitate the country’s technical compliance to anti-money laundering standards on the prevention and control of laundering proceeds of crime, financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Regarding challenges faced by the ministry, he said the justice system continued to experience challenges of low disposal of cases against target turnaround times for the different case types. 

He also said the implementation of anti-corruption measures remained a challenge, and the sophisticated nature of some of the corruption cases required enhanced investigative and prosecution  skills.

“Systemic maladministration continues to manifest in the public sector, a situation that provides fertile opportunity for corruption,” he said. BOPA