The meeting interestingly coincides with a press release by the Attorney General Athaliah Molokomme published in the government owned Daily News paper, where she posited that "The flogging or caning of people without their consent, outside the foregoing legal framework, is illegal and offenders can be charged with criminal offences for assault and other offences, as well as being sued in civil proceedings," she said.
Molokomme's statement comes in the wake of the whipping of a 56 year old Mokgatla man, Tselapedi Mooketsi at the behest of Bakgatla royalty. According to Botswana law, as the attorney general states, corporal punishment against anyone above the age of 40 is prohibited. There have also been complaints against the Kgosi Kgafela II leadership, which is accused of ruling the Kgatleng District with an iron fist where people have been whipped by the new Madisankwe regiment. Most of these people were whipped for breaking a royal decree on alcohol drinking. In the district, no one is allowed to drink alcohol before 12 noon. Those found guilty have been whipped on the spot by the regiment. The attorney general has said the police have prepared at least two dockets on the floggings and that suspects (those flogging others) are likely to be taken to court.
