Draconian laws shoot the messenger
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Without going into the merits of the case against the Sunday Standard editor, the charge he is facing is a reminder how easily the more draconian sections of the Penal Code may be used or misused. The Penal Code – or the law governing what crimes are and their punishment – is a malleable piece of legislation that countless authorities across the world have used for one purpose or the other – rightly or wrongly – outside the explicit law.
In Africa, most Anglophone countries inherited their penal codes unchanged from colonial powers who previously used them to disenfranchise, intimidate and imprison the indigenous majorities.
The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...