Crime assets soar, victims still waiting
Mpho Mokwape | Monday March 23, 2026 06:00
This was revealed by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Nelson Ramaotwana, recently in his Committee of Supply speech. Ramaotwana revealed that despite the fund ballooning from P10.4 million to P43.8 million, driven largely by a major forfeiture exceeding P32 million in January 2026, no compensation has been disbursed, with authorities still finalising guidelines for payouts.
“Claims received are still undergoing assessment, adding that the fund will also support rehabilitation and training initiatives for law enforcement agencies,” he said, At the same time, he said the Office is pushing for a significantly increased budget of P25.1 million for the 2026/2027 financial year, a 39 percent jump, citing mounting pressure from rising caseloads and operational challenges.
Ramaotwana told Parliament that the Office is handling an increasing number of court-ordered asset seizures, which rose from 66 to 79 in the past year. The Office is tasked with managing properties linked to corruption, money laundering, and terrorism financing, ensuring criminals do not benefit from illicit gains. However, while workload has increased, he said the total value of assets under management has dropped by 16.5 percent to P141.5 million, largely due to court-ordered returns and forfeitures.
The Minister further said the Office continues to face challenges, including high costs of maintaining seized property and limited storage space, and those delays in court processes have also affected the timely disposal of assets.
To address storage issues, he said three temporary shelters with 60 parking spaces have been built in partnership with the Botswana Defence Force, meant to protect vehicles and other assets from damage.
The Minister noted that the Office is also working on several reforms to improve its operations and the five-year strategic plan is expected to be launched before the end of the current financial year.
He said plans to introduce a digital system for managing seized assets are ongoing, although the initial process was cancelled due to complexity, and a new tender process is now underway.
The minister also raised concerns about staff safety, saying officers sometimes face threats when handling seized property.
“Dispossessing them of such properties does not come without considerable threats to the security of officers. To improve capacity, 24 new positions were approved in July 2025. However, the Office still lacks key personnel such as valuers and mechanics. It also faces transport challenges, with only one operational vehicle currently in use,” he said.
The Minister said the situation has been dire, with officers resorting to using their personal vehicles on official duties. The Office is also seeking P24.6m for development projects, including the construction of a warehouse in Francistown and the introduction of a Property and Asset Management System. The Minister concluded by asking Parliament to approve the proposed budgets, saying they are necessary to support the Office’s growing responsibilities and improve management of seized assets.