05 Aug 2026

Government has not yet conducted the proposed study to assess the security of judicial officers, Parliament has heard.

Answering a parliamentary question on Monday, Assistant Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Ms Maipelo Mophuting-Dikoloti, said the ministry recognised the importance of strengthening security for the judiciary.

Ms Mophuting-Dikoloti explained that protecting judicial officers fell under the broader mandate of the Botswana Police Service, as outlined in Section 6 of the Police Act (Cap. 21:01), which emphasised the protection of life and property, prevention and detection of crime as well as maintenance of public tranquillity.

The assistant minister assured legislators that government would continue engaging with the judiciary to explore alternative measures to enhance their safety.

Tswapong South MP, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, had asked the minister for an update, including timelines for each phase of the exercise, on previous assurances regarding the proposed security assessment study. ENDS