Khama extends Dibotelo�s contract
Oarabile Mosikare | Wednesday February 22, 2017 18:00
“Dibotelo is due for retirement on October 31, 2017 when he reaches 70 years. I am told that it could be up to March 31, 2018, the day HE leaves office. [It] makes sense because CJ can’t cause a mess and leave his principal with it,” said a highly-placed source in the Judiciary.
The Office of the President (OP) has refused to shed light on the issue.
“In view of the fact that the questions contained herein are purely administrative, you are hereby advised to contact the Administration of Justice (AoJ) on the matter,” press secretary at the OP, Gobe Pitso said.
For two weeks, the Registrar who is also the Judicial Service Commission secretary, Michael Motlhabi, did not respond to questions sent to him about the alleged contract extension of Dibotelo. Delivering his address during the Opening of the Legal Year earlier this month, Dibotelo ended his speech with a punch line. “Lastly, as some wait with bated breath for the good news, please be assured that my valedictory will be at the appropriate moment,” he said. The legal fraternity read this to mean that Dibotelo will be here for quiet sometime. Dibotelo’s leadership style came under scrutiny in 2015 after he reported four judges to the police to be investigated after it was found out they received allowances not due to them. The housing allowance amounted close to P1 million and Dibotelo said this constituted an act of theft by the concerned Judges. After Dibotelo reported Justices Key Dingake, Modiri Letsididi, Mercy Garekwe and Ranier Busang to the police for investigation, 12 judges wrote to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) calling upon the body to initiate impeachment proceedings against him. The petitioners accused Dibotelo of being hell bent on destroying some of his colleagues’ careers.