2015 at the Courts of Law
Friday, December 18, 2015
Khama suspends four High Court Judges
In an unprecedented move that saw Botswana’s judiciary rocked to the core, President Ian Khama removed four High Court judges from the bench. The judges: Key Dingake, Modiri Letsididi, Mercy Garekwe and Ranier Busang were suspended for undermining the Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo and bringing the judiciary into disrepute. They were also suspended for challenging Chief Justice Dibotelo’s move to report them to the police for receiving housing allowances while staying in official residences. The four judges have since declared that the chief justice’s actions were questionable and amounted to harassment and witch-hunting.
The fees have been doubled from the previous amounts and raise concerns about political participation accessibility and democratic representation principles.This significant fee increase prompts questions regarding its impact on grassroots democracy.On one hand, the fees act as a filter, ensuring only serious contenders enter the race, potentially reducing frivolous candidacies and generating crucial campaign funds. The BDP argues that aspiring...