16 Dec 2020

The much-awaited Sex Offenders Registry Bill has finally reached the floor of Parliament.

Presenting the Bill for the second reading on Tuesday, Minister of Justice, Defence and Security Mr Kagiso Mmusi said in December 2017, Parliament passed a motion calling for the enactment of a law to register sexual offenders and ban them from working in institutions dealing with children and vulnerable persons.

He told Parliament that the prevalence and increase in cases of sexual abuse was a matter of national concern and that the act was abhorred universally.

He noted that when it involved children and vulnerable persons such as the elderly it was considered one of the most offensive forms of criminal activity possible.

He said the offences caused serious and long-lasting harm to victims, their families and the community.

He said the Bill established a Sex Offenders register that kept an extensive range of personal information about offenders who had committed qualifying offences.

He said the objective of the register was to enhance public safety, reduce sexual re-offending through deterrence and to ensure that when a sexual offender was released back into the community they were monitored and barred from working in the vicinity of children and other vulnerable groups.

He noted that the bill had six parts and 34 clauses.

He said part 1 dealt with preliminary matters such as the title, commencement date and interpretation clauses.
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art 2 sets out sexual offences and further provides for disclosure of conviction of sexual offences and the registration of sex offenders entering Botswana.

Mr Mmusi said part three provided for the establishment of sexual offenders register while part four made provisions for supervision of a sexual offender post-release.

He said part five established a sexual offenders Inter-Sectoral Council and also provided for the minister’s report to Parliament on the activities of the council and the implementation of the Act.

Part six, he said provided for the sexual offences to be extraterritorial and further provided for transitional provisions. ENDS