04 Jul 2023

 The President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, yesterday swore in Adv. Stephen Tiroyakgosi as the fifth Ombudsman of Botswana and Ms Dudu Leinaeng as Deputy Ombudsman in compliance with the new Ombudsman Act. 

President Masisi said Section 7 of the Ombudsman Act requires that upon assuming duty, the Ombudsman must be sworn in. He said the new law had also established a new post of Deputy Ombudsman. 

Dr Masisi said previously it was not a requirement for the Ombudsman to be sworn in. He added that  the post of the Deputy Ombudsman was established as a result of the changes effected by the law. 

President Masisi said the Office of the Ombudsman had, in addition to its traditional mandate of investigating allegations of maladministration within the public sector, been conferred with a human rights mandate. 

Now, he said, the office could investigate breaches of human rights both in the public and private sectors. Additionally, the Ombudsman would accordingly advice government in the drafting of legislation relating to human rights, he said. 

President Masisi said Advocate Tiroyakgosi was an experienced attorney with a career spanning 32 years. 

He holds a masters degree in International Law and a Bachelor of Laws. He previously served as director of Directorate of Public Prosecutions; Secretary of International and Commercial Division as well as a law lecturer at the University of Botswana, among others, he said. 

Dr Masisi said Ms Leinaeng possessed an LLB from the University of Botswana with 27 years of service.

 He said Ms Leinaeng had vast expertise in administrative law having worked for 18 years as an investigator at the Ombudsman. 

She, as such, had depth of knowledge and would accordingly provide strategic leadership, he said. 

In an interview, Advocate Tiroyakgosi said the Ombudsman Act of 1995 had only mandated the Ombudsman to investigate issues of maladministration in the public sector. 

The new law however placed additional responsibility on the Ombudsman, namely that of investigating human rights violations. 

He said all other employees of the public protector would now take oath before undertaking their duties. 

In compliance with its new mandate, the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday launched its Human Rights mandate under the theme: Ombudsman Promoting Good Governance and Respect of Human Rights. ENDS