17 death row inmates await Boko's decision
President Duma Boko has 17 male inmates on deathrow awaiting his signature.
It is entirely up to him to decide whether he hands them their freedom back, or agrees with the judges’ decision to send them to the gallows.
Of these 17 men, three were condemned to death in 2021, five in 2022, another five in 2023 and three in 2024. The men are aged between 29 and 59 years.
Botswana Prison Services (BPS) says it is only awaiting instructions from the president.
“A condemned prisoner lives like any other prisoner except that they are isolated from other prisoners.
“The execution will only be carried out after the Officer in Charge receives a warrant signed by the president in his own hand ordering that the sentence of death on the prisoner specified be carried out,” Superintendent Kabo Khuduga, the BPS spokesperson said.
Since Botswana’s independence in 1966, 48 prisoners have been executed, a total 10 of them hanged in the last 10 years.
Meanwhile, crimes against people are continuing to throw the country into panic with hundreds killed each year. Batswana are greatly disturbed by the harrowing incidents of murder and rape reported by the police daily. People are brutally killed.
The situation worries Botswana Police Commissioner Dinah Marathe. She has even labelled Botswana a violent nation.
Speaking this past Tuesday, Marathe said violence against persons remains the biggest headache and this was evident during the festive season.
Botswana’s festive season crime rate dropped by 9.8 percent, thanks to Operation Pabalesego, a joint law enforcement initiative aimed at curbing criminal activity from December 19, 2024, to January 5, 2025.
However, troubling trends in gender-based violence (GBV), cases of unlawful wounding and rape surged, making them the most pressing concerns.
Marathe revealed that out of 298 violent crimes recorded, 61 percent (181 cases) were GBV-related, reflecting a troubling culture of violence in Botswana.
“This shows we use force on others regardless of gender. Our conflict resolution skills are poor,” she said.
Murder cases rose from 20 in 2023 to 25 in 2024, with 10 of the 25 murders (40 percent) linked to GBV.
Threats to kill also increased from 46 to 47 cases, with 20 being GBV-related.
Rape and attempted rape cases climbed from 87 to 93. Unlawful wounding cases stood at 94, a slight rise from last year’s 93, with 20 percent linked to GBV.
Defilement cases, however, dropped from 42 to 30. Suicide cases rose by four percent, with the highest numbers recorded in southern Botswana, followed by the Central District.
Marathe pointed to unemployment and relationship issues as key contributing factors.
Despite the concerning statistics, she was pleased that crime was significantly reduced in other areas. The police boss lady credited the decline to increased public education, stop-and-search
roadblocks, and heightened police presence.
The operation led to a 43 percent drop in burglary, 30 percent in car theft, and 29 percent in stock theft.
She added that another worrisome issue was the number of missing persons reported, some of whom tragically drowned due to heavy rains experienced during the festive season.
Marathe emphasised the need for community intervention, stating that bystanders often ignore violence instead of helping victims.
Most murders occurred in drinking spots, highlighting the link between alcohol and violent crimes.
While Operation Pabalesego made strides in crime reduction, the Commissioner stressed that addressing GBV, conflict resolution, and mental health issues should be a national priority moving forward.
In support of Marathe’s advice, Batswana are also calling for more stringent measures to curb crime. They are calling on president Boko to expedite execution, saying it is only through hanging that potential offenders will realise the consequences of butchering people day in and day out.
They are not happy that those condemned to death can spend years waiting for the D-Day, hanging only one person per year, they say, is not enough.
“There is no law guiding the number of executions per year,” BPS said when asked if there were any laws that guide the number of executions allowed per year.
It is entirely up to him to decide whether he hands them their freedom back, or agrees with the judges’ decision to send them to the gallows.
Of these 17 men, three were condemned to death in 2021, five in 2022, another five in 2023 and three in 2024. The men are aged between 29 and 59 years.
Botswana Prison Services (BPS) says it is only awaiting instructions from the president.
“A condemned prisoner lives like any other prisoner except that they are isolated from other prisoners.
“The execution will only be carried out after the Officer in Charge receives a warrant signed by the president in his own hand ordering that the sentence of death on the prisoner specified be carried out,” Superintendent Kabo Khuduga, the BPS spokesperson said.
Since Botswana’s independence in 1966, 48 prisoners have been executed, a total 10 of them hanged in the last 10 years.
Meanwhile, crimes against people are continuing to throw the country into panic with hundreds killed each year. Batswana are greatly disturbed by the harrowing incidents of murder and rape reported by the police daily. People are brutally killed.
The situation worries Botswana Police Commissioner Dinah Marathe. She has even labelled Botswana a violent nation.
Speaking this past Tuesday, Marathe said violence against persons remains the biggest headache and this was evident during the festive season.
Botswana’s festive season crime rate dropped by 9.8 percent, thanks to Operation Pabalesego, a joint law enforcement initiative aimed at curbing criminal activity from December 19, 2024, to January 5, 2025.
However, troubling trends in gender-based violence (GBV), cases of unlawful wounding and rape surged, making them the most pressing concerns.
Marathe revealed that out of 298 violent crimes recorded, 61 percent (181 cases) were GBV-related, reflecting a troubling culture of violence in Botswana.
“This shows we use force on others regardless of gender. Our conflict resolution skills are poor,” she said.
Murder cases rose from 20 in 2023 to 25 in 2024, with 10 of the 25 murders (40 percent) linked to GBV.
Threats to kill also increased from 46 to 47 cases, with 20 being GBV-related.
Rape and attempted rape cases climbed from 87 to 93. Unlawful wounding cases stood at 94, a slight rise from last year’s 93, with 20 percent linked to GBV.
Defilement cases, however, dropped from 42 to 30. Suicide cases rose by four percent, with the highest numbers recorded in southern Botswana, followed by the Central District.
Marathe pointed to unemployment and relationship issues as key contributing factors.
Despite the concerning statistics, she was pleased that crime was significantly reduced in other areas. The police boss lady credited the decline to increased public education, stop-and-search
roadblocks, and heightened police presence.
The operation led to a 43 percent drop in burglary, 30 percent in car theft, and 29 percent in stock theft.
She added that another worrisome issue was the number of missing persons reported, some of whom tragically drowned due to heavy rains experienced during the festive season.
Marathe emphasised the need for community intervention, stating that bystanders often ignore violence instead of helping victims.
Most murders occurred in drinking spots, highlighting the link between alcohol and violent crimes.
While Operation Pabalesego made strides in crime reduction, the Commissioner stressed that addressing GBV, conflict resolution, and mental health issues should be a national priority moving forward.
In support of Marathe’s advice, Batswana are also calling for more stringent measures to curb crime. They are calling on president Boko to expedite execution, saying it is only through hanging that potential offenders will realise the consequences of butchering people day in and day out.
They are not happy that those condemned to death can spend years waiting for the D-Day, hanging only one person per year, they say, is not enough.
“There is no law guiding the number of executions per year,” BPS said when asked if there were any laws that guide the number of executions allowed per year.
