President, please set me free – Inmate’s plea to Boko
Larona Makhaiza | Wednesday September 2, 2026 06:00
Kgomotso Sekerese, an inmate at Gaborone Central Prison, is appealing directly to Boko to remit the remaining four years of his sentence, invoking the President’s constitutional powers to grant clemency. In a letter addressed to the President, Sekerese makes an emotional plea for his freedom, describing Boko as a “humanitarian” and “freedom fighter”. “My beloved humanitarian and also freedom fighter, Mr President, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, I wish also to remit the remaining part of my imprisonment term as in terms with the best proviso of section 53 (D) of the Constitution of Botswana Chapter 1,” reads part of the letter.
Sekerese says he has yet to receive any response from the Office of the President. The plea for clemency comes against the backdrop of a bitter legal battle between Sekerese and the State over what he alleges was a vicious assault by prison officers.
He has sued the Attorney General (AG) and Commissioner of Prisons for P4.5 million, claiming that he was assaulted by prison officers during a parade on February 5 last year and that the alleged beating continued after he was taken to solitary confinement.
Sekerese claims that he was subsequently denied medical attention and deprived of his chronic medication during the three days he spent in solitary confinement. He alleges that the assault left him with permanent injuries to his right scrotal and left testicular regions, which he says have resulted in permanent disfigurement and disability. His claim is divided into P3.6 million for permanent disfigurement and disability, P180,000 for psychological trauma and shock, and P720,000 for anticipated future medical expenses. Whilst his freedom plea is now before the President, Sekerese is simultaneously expressing frustration over what he describes as delays by the Attorney General in defending the civil claim.
According to Sekerese, the AG acknowledged receipt of the summons on February 11, 2026, but failed to enter an appearance to defend within the prescribed 21-day period. The writ, issued under Order 6 Rule 5 of the High Court Rules, requires a defendant to enter an appearance to defend within 21 days of service and warns that failure to do so could result in judgment being entered in the defendant’s absence.
“Within 21 days of service upon you of this summons enter an appearance to defend,” reads part of the writ addressed to the Attorney General and Commissioner of Prisons. Sekerese claims the State subsequently defaulted by 43 days.
“Summons was failed, and the State defaulted by 43 days. After that, a default judgment was filed, and a new date was set. But they came with a point in limine for the matter to be taken back to the registrar to be assessed. I responded to them with an affidavit,” he said.
He further claims that the State has since failed to make a substantive appearance in the matter.
“That has been the case; they have never filed anything since then. I haven’t heard from them, and they are not even coming to court,” he said.
Responding to Mmegi questions on allegations of defaulting, AG Dick Bayford said the Government, represented by the AG, has not defaulted in the matter. He said they acknowledge that the Plaintiff has requested a default judgment which request has not been determined by the Court. 'Appearance to Defend was filed within the required time period set out in the HC Rules, namely the 2 nd March 2026. Unfortunately, it was not served on the Plaintiff which then necessitated an application for leave to serve him. Such an application is allowed in terms of the Rules. This application is yet to be determined by the Court. This is why the Plaintiff’s request for default judgment has not been granted by the Court and cannot be granted because the Plaintiff has wrongly sought final judgment in a matter where damages would still need to be assessed,' Bayford clarified. On Sekerese's accusations that he was deprived of his medication while in solitary confinement, the AG added that they have instructions to defend against the Plaintiff’s action hence the filing of an Appearance to Defend. 'As AGC we work under instruction from the Client Ministry or Department. Should our Client instruct us otherwise or take a different position we will act accordingly. There is no warning to grant default judgment against the government because the appearance to defend was filed in time. What we seek now is leave to serve the Plaintiff with the appearance to defend. Judgment will not be entered against the government while the application for leave to serve the plaintiff is to be determined. In any event, the Plaintiff has requested final judgment which is legally untenable as his suit is for unliquidated damages which would still need to be assessed,' Bayford pointed out.
He said delays in finalising this issue were exacerbated by the reallocation of the matter from Judge William Moncho to Judge Ookeditse Maphakwane on April 27, 2026. He however said, the application for leave to serve has been scheduled for hearing before Judge Maphakwane on September 23, 2026.
For Sekerese, however, the courtroom battle is only one part of a wider fight for a second chance. With four years remaining on his sentence, he has turned to the country’s highest office, asking Boko to exercise his constitutional powers and bring his imprisonment to an early end. The pardon request places Sekerese’s case at an unusual intersection of prison conditions, constitutional clemency, and an inmate’s fight for freedom.
For now, the inmate waits for two things: an answer from the State in his P4.5 million claim and, more importantly to him, an answer from the President on his plea for freedom.