14 Jan 2026

The case in which the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is seeking a court order to freeze assets belonging to former cabinet minister Dr Kefentse Mzwinila has been postponed to January 22.

Justice Oteng Motlhala of  the Gaborone High Court said on Tuesday that while he appreciated the urgency of the matter, he required an additional week to study the heads of argument submitted by both the applicants and the respondents.

The matter before the High Court is an application by the DPP seeking to restrain various properties belonging to Dr Mzwinila and related parties, pending investigations by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC).

The DPP first made the application in late December under the Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Act. It was granted by the High Court on an urgent and ex parte basis, meaning that a legal request was made to a court by one party without the other party being present or notified

The ruling resulted in a rule nisi (a provisional court order) restraining Dr Mzwinila from accessing a wide range of assets, including immovable properties, agricultural equipment, shares, and cash.

These assets were placed under the management of the Office of the Receiver, a state entity responsible for administering assets under investigation or seizure.

Given the temporary nature of ex parte orders, the DPP has since returned to court seeking confirmation of the asset freeze. Justice Motlhala will determine whether the statutory requirements for restraint have been met and whether the provisional order should be confirmed, varied, or set aside.

The DPP argues that the restraint is necessary to prevent possible tampering with the assets while DCEC investigations continue. However, Dr Mzwinila’s legal team opposes the application, denying any wrongdoing and raising both procedural and substantive objections.

During Tuesday’s hearing, counsel for Dr Mzwinila complained that the Office of the Receiver had been evicting tenants and dismissing employees from the restrained properties.

In response, Justice Motlhala issued an interim order interdicting the Receiver from evicting tenants or dismissing employees pending the final determination of the restraint proceedings. BOPA