Tshosa resigns

KAGISO ONKATSWITSE
Staff Writer | Thursday August 9, 2012 00:00

 

Former High Court judge Onkemetse Tshosa has resigned, effectively dissolving a tribunal set up to determine his fate after his conviction and sentence for assault last month. Tshosa delivered his resignation to President Ian Khama yesterday morning, scuttling the tribunal on the day it was due to re-convene. 

The controversial former judge first stunned the tribunal when he delivered a sick note from his doctor on August 1, the day the tribunal was scheduled to start its work. 

Tshosa’s resignation yesterday coincided with the date to which the tribunal had been postponed when he scuppered it with his sick note on August 1.

Tshosa was due to present himself before the tribunal, which is chaired by former Chief Justice Julian Nganunu. Other members are Merry Garekwe, Moses Chinhengo and Chief State Counsel Thato Mujaji as proxy for the Attorney General.

The legal advisor of the University of Botswana, Tshegofatso Mogomotsi, was the secretary for yesterday’s session of the tribunal.  President Khama appointed the tribunal under Section 97 (3) of the constitution.  Its terms were to investigate whether Justice Tshosa should or should not be removed from serving as a judge of the High Court of Botswana. It was due to present its report to Khama on September 1.  President Khama acted quickly to dissolve the tribunal, informing it by letter of Tshosa’s resignation.

Meanwhile, Tshosa has launched an appeal against his conviction and suspended sentence of 18 months imprisonment and P1,000 for assaulting a police officer and failure to provide a breath specimen.