Delays in implementing Sexual Offenders Registry Act irk PAC
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Wednesday May 28, 2025 06:19
The committee has observed it has taken too long for the law to commence without any valid explanations for the delay, something which is unacceptable.
This followed a question by committee member and Member of Parliament for Serowe South, Leepetswe Lesedi, who wanted to know when the Act would commence.
In response, the Accounting Officer for the Ministry for State President, Goitsemang Morekisi said the implementation process has commenced, beginning with the appointment of the board members.
“The Sexual Offenders Registry Act was passed and has been enacted. Currently, we are taking the board members to Cabinet for approval. Once the board members are approved, we will start working on the registry of all the sex offenders,” Morekisi said.
Asked on how long it would take to appoint the board, Morekisi said, “A Cabinet memorandum has been prepared and once it has been approved by Cabinet in the next two to three weeks, after which if it has been approved, then it would start working”.
However, the committee chairperson, Taolo Lucas was not impressed, saying laws are passed to be implemented. He said it was worrying that this has taken long to commence the law.
“We should not be happy that laws are passed and not implemented. I think this must come to an end,” he said.
Morekisi said they are speeding up the actualisation of the implementation of the law and promised that it would be implemented long before the end of the year.
“We appreciate that it has taken long. It has just been transferred to our ministry and we have already started the implementation process. We are speeding up the actualisation of the implementation by appointing the board, the updating the registry,” she added.
She explained that the Sexual Offenders Registry Act was enacted to make provision for the establishment of the sexual offenders register, a Sexual Offenders Inter-sectoral Council, and for matters connected therewith.
The Act is also aimed to prohibit sex offenders from working in institutions dealing with children and other vulnerable persons.
The Act came into effect following concerns about high numbers of gender-based violence incidents in the country. It is said that the law will help track and register sexual offenders who have been convicted in and outside the country.