23 Jun 2022

It is crucial that the Ministry of Justice justifies its creation by adopting a culture of high performance from the onset.

The tone of expectation was set by Minister Machana Shamukuni when officially opening the ministry’s three-day management retreat in Jwaneng yesterday.

Mr Shamukuni informed senior management team, heads of departments and independent institutions under the ministry that as custodians of the rule of law and human rights, they played an instrumental role in making Botswana an attractive destination for foreign direct investment, which was imperative for the nation’s economic growth.

“This, therefore, means that in formulating the strategy, it is vital that the ministry also accommodates national and international pledges that government has committed to, such as the United Nations Agenda 2030, SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, Vision 2036 and the National Development Plan among others,” he said.

He said the documents were essential for purposes of alignment in the planning process, and that because the ministry was constituted by a number of independent institutions such as Legal Aid

Botswana and Ombudsman, it therefore demanded that the strategy be anchored at a point of convergence to enable a fluid operation between all entities,” he said.

The minister advised planners to be cognizant of the fact that the ministry’s mandate intended to preserve fundamental rights of every individual regardless of their background or origin, which therefore called for a proper and clearly defined strategic foundation and performance indicators.

“This, therefore, calls for a reflection on questions of what the ministry needs to do to, among others, transform and strengthen the criminal justice system, preserve human rights, inculcate a culture of high performance and behold international corporation on justice matters,” he said.

Permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr Gaeimelwe Goitsemang said the retreat was vital since the ministry was new.

“It was necessary that we come together to brainstorm as leadership to define our strategy, vision and mission statement as to why the ministry exists and how we want to be seen by clients,” he said.

He said that there was also a need to moot a way forward to determine and set service standards as well as align the ministry’s service delivery with the international community standards.

“The expected outcome should agree on strategic foundation, performance indicators, service standards and strategic initiatives that we have to pursue to justify our existence and finalise our 2023 annual performance plan. ENDS