High Court acquits two men in 2012 Mahalapye murder case

Francistown High Court in Botswana has acquitted and discharged two men previously charged with a brutal murder and multiple counts of rape dating back to 2012. The case exposed significant failures in the state’s handling of violent crime. After 14 years of legal proceedings, the matter concluded with an acquittal, underscoring the prosecution’s inability to present sufficient evidence and revealing systemic shortcomings. Justice Keborapele Bashi Moesi, who presided over the case, ruled on June 24,...

Political elites, P107 Billion, and dirty money

A recent Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing National Risk Assessment has exposed significant vulnerabilities within Botswana’s commercial banking sector, revealing how tax evaders, corrupt insiders, and money launderers are exploiting a financial system holding over P107.3 billion in deposits.

Kgafela II seeks R2.5 million to fund legal battle over chieftaincy

Kgafela Kgafela II, Paramount Chief of the Bakgatla ba Kgafela, has called on members of his tribe in Botswana to raise R2.5 million to support his ongoing legal fight over the Bakgatla ba Kgafela chieftaincy in South Africa. The self-exiled chief is challenging the authority of Kgosi Nyalala Pilane in an appeal before South Africa’s Constitutional Court. In correspondence presented to the tribe this week, Kgafela seeks formal recognition as the rightful leader of the...

Ex-Gambling Authority COO files P16.7 million defamation suit

Potlako Mawande, the former Chief Operating Officer of the Gambling Authority, has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking P16,729,000 against his previous employer. He alleges that the Authority dismissed him based on fabricated evidence and subsequently blacklisted him within the gambling industry. The writ of summons, filed at the Gaborone High Court on June 2, 2026, accuses the Gambling Authority of orchestrating a deliberate campaign to tarnish his professional reputation. At the heart of the dispute...

Guma Moyo property dispute returns to court

The Court of Appeal is scheduled to hear an appeal on June 19, 2026, brought by First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) and two others challenging a High Court ruling that halted the sale of properties linked to businessman Samson Guma Moyo. The dispute arises from FNBB’s efforts to recover debts related to Moyo’s company, United Refineries Botswana Holdings (Pty) Ltd. To satisfy these debts, FNBB initiated execution proceedings against properties connected to Moyo and associated...

GBV cases top 7,500 in first quarter of 2026

In the opening quarter of 2026, Botswana confronted a grim and unrelenting reality: more than 7,500 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were recorded nationwide, a statistic that underscores the deep-rooted and persistent challenge of violence that continues to ravage individuals and families across the country. Despite a slight numerical dip from the same period last year, where over 7,800 cases were reported, the figures remain a stark reminder of a crisis that refuses to abate....

French pharma giant secures majority stake in Medswana

French healthcare conglomerate CFAO Healthcare has received unconditional approval from Botswana’s Competition and Consumer Authority (CCA) to acquire a 75 percent controlling interest in Medswana Proprietary Limited, a leading pharmaceutical wholesaler in the country. This move marks one of the most significant transactions in Botswana’s pharmaceutical sector. The CCA granted approval on May 13, 2026, clearing the way for CFAO Healthcare to expand its footprint in Botswana’s healthcare supply chain through the acquisition of the...

World Metrological Services warns against El Nino

The world is bracing for a weather phenomenon that meteorologists say could reshape climate patterns and intensify extreme weather events across the globe in 2026. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued an urgent warning: a strong El Niño event is developing and poised to exacerbate droughts, heavy rainfall, and heatwaves both on land and in the oceans. This climate disruption, experts warn, will pour fuel on the already blazing fire of global warming, threatening...