‘Masisi must respect the Judiciary’
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has been following reports which suggest interference by the Executive in the work of the Judiciary. We have always maintained that the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has ensured its hegemony prevails in all arms and departments of government. They are made to serve the interests of the dominant faction in the party but not those of the nation.
The allegations raised by Justice Ketlogetswe and lately Kgosi Mosadi Seboko buttress what we have always maintained. As the dictum says, justice should not only be done but be seen to be done. A lot of Batswana have long lost hope in the country’s judiciary. Our people no longer see Courts as places of hope, justice, fairness and redress. They don’t see them as the last line of defense but last line of abuse. A number of judicial appointments have raised eyebrows.
‘The body that makes recommendations for judicial appointments to the President, the Judicial Service Commission is dominated by his appointees and conducts its interviews in secret. We have always advocated for a transparent and open selection process of judicial officers that is not dominated by the Executive. It therefore is not surprising that the President has not acted on the allegations raised by Justice Ketlogetswe. We call upon those who bring the interests of our nation first to follow the examples set by Justice Ketlogetswe and Kgosi Seboko.
‘As Head of State and Government, the President bears the Supreme responsibility of defending the constitution. That he has openly disclosed his attempt to sway the Court of appeal is not only an affront to the basic principle of separation of powers but a clear indication of the level to which democratic governance has regressed under Masisi. His bare-face subversion of the foundational principles of our democratic Republic is a devastating indictment against his political integrity and elementary suitability for continued stewardship of this country.
The BDP under Masisi is not only politically bankrupt but has lost the moral authority to rule ‘this country. We hold the view that the President must with immediate effect resign. It is for this reason that the UDC will be holding a March in Tutume after which a Petition will be handed over to the District Commissioner’s office. The petition will amongst others cover government failure to deal with rising unemployment and looming retrenchments, poor service delivery, escalating commodity prices and rampant corruption. The handing over of the Petition will be followed by a Star Rally. These activities will be led by the UDC NEC and central committees of affiliate parties.