Remembering Leonard Sechele
Staff Writer | Wednesday September 9, 2015 16:26
The former Director of Public Prosecutions, Sechele, died last Thursday after a struggle with kidney failure. He was 56 years old. Speaker after speaker described Sechele as a disciplinarian and gentleman, as well as a humble person who loved his job and respected his colleagues.
The first to speak was Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Shaw Kgathi, who was his roommate at University of Botswana in the 80s.
Sechele graduated in 1987, with a group of lawyers, among them the late Advocate Moatlhodi Marumo, Sanjie Monageng, and Augustine Makgonatsotlhe.
“When we arrived at UB, I was allocated Block 403, and a few hours later he knocked on my door, telling me that he was allocated the room I was in. I welcomed him and became his monitor. We studied together, and would spend leisure time at main mall…re blomile fela…. doing nothing,” Kgathi told the crowd.
He described Sechele as a professional who respected deadlines. He added that Sechele delivered well-researched judgments that were hardly overturned at the High Court or the Court of Appeal.
Commissioner of Police Keabetswe Makgophe said he knew Sechele in the early 90s when he was magistrate, later meeting him as DPP.
Makgophe said Sechele was also in the Police Council and was a nice person to work with. Makgophe said that as DPP, Sechele always displayed a caring attitude towards the welfare of prosecutors, in the Botswana Police Service and those under his department.
In their line of duty, prosecutors risk being sent to jail for contempt of court.
“But Sechele would always make sure that our officers jailed for contempt of court were allowed to correct their mistakes, and he would engage all stakeholders to ensure the officers got their freedom,” he said.
After serving as Chief Magistrate, Sechele joined the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in the early 2000s. He then joined the Directorate on Intelligence and Security Services as its legal advisor before joining the DPP in 2010.
Deputy Chairman of the Law Society of Botswana Kgalalelo Monthe, also described Sechele as a magistrate who had respect for fellow lawyers and would not harass or try to intimidate them in court.
“Unlike what is happening in magistrates’ court nowadays; to be honest, he did not harass or intimidate other lawyers,” he said.
It also emerged that Sechele was not only a lawyer, but a keen farmer who loved cattle rearing that he could travel across the country looking for high quality cattle breeds.
A close friend of his, Moses Gaealafswe said that they attended school at Selebi Phikwe Senior Secondary School and later met in Maun where their friendship blossomed. At the time, Gaealafswe was District Commissioner and he was a magistrate.
Sechele will be laid to rest at his home village of Gweta on Saturday.