Botswana Prisons Services News Today

The winds of change are blowing through the Botswana Prisons Services (BPS). Following a changing of the guard amongst the top brass, with Dinah Marathe replacing Silas Motlalekgosi as Commissioner earlier this year, the BPS is now in the process of converting some of its non-uniformed personnel to uniformed staff. In a savingram dated 30 April, the Service revealed all those affected would undergo basic training. The conversion comes across as voluntarily, on a ‘take it or leave it’ basis....

15th April 2021 Amnesty International (AI) has noted widespread food insecurity in Botswana during 2020 and restrictions on the right to freedom of expression due to the State of Public Emergency legislation. In its 2020/2021 report, the human rights body (NGO) observed that in Botswana, “Police subjected political activists to torture and other ill-treatment and death by hanging was maintained as a punishment for crimes including murder.” Alluding to torture and other ill-treatment, AI sta...

18th February 2021 Silas Motlalekgosi, the former Commissioner of Prisons, was not just retired his sacking, it would appear, emanates from a disputed tender. He had hoped to receive P 3 million and several hundred thousands from a government tender until the levers of power were cocked into action to circumvent his impending windfall. The State was about to purchase his property for P3,700,000.00 (Three million seven hundred thousand Pula but reneged at the eleventh hour.  President Mokgwee...