A recent report from the National Amalgamated Local, Central Government & Parastatal Workers Union delivers a stinging critique of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government, branding it intolerant, arrogant, and dismissive of vital democratic voices. Titled “A Clarion Crying Voice: UDC Government Failures – Is This the New Republic? Too Much Talk, Too Many Promises, Little Action,” the report draws parallels between the current administration and the shortcomings of the former Botswana Democratic Party...

Botswana’s embassies worldwide have evolved beyond traditional political roles and are now operated with a business-oriented mindset. This week, the government publicly affirmed that the substantial investments in maintaining diplomatic offices in global cities such as London, Tokyo, and New York are yielding tangible benefits for the average Motswana. Tlhabologo Furniture, Member of Parliament for Tati East, queried the Minister of International Relations about the number of Botswana embassies across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the...

  On February 17, 2026, a formal statutory notice was served on the government, signaling the launch of a constitutional challenge against the Medicines and Related Substances Act (MRSA) and the recently enacted Medicines and Related Substances Bill of 2025. The notice, issued by Victor Shabani acting both personally and as a trustee for The Eternal Foundation, targets the Attorney General, the Ministry of Health, and the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA). At the heart...

685 were prosecuted, 519 were convicted, while 166 were acquitted Over the past decade, 3,195 lives have been tragically lost to dangerous driving, a grim toll that continues to haunt countless families still caught in the uncertainty of the legal process. Government data reveals that 574 cases of causing death by dangerous driving remain pending trial, underscoring a troubling gap between reported incidents and judicial resolution. Despite the staggering number of fatalities, the courts have...

Suspended Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS) officers, led by Principal Intelligence Officer Paul Setlhabi, have launched a legal challenge seeking a 90-day jail term for Director General Peter Fana Magosi and 14 other members of the DIS Board of Inquiry. The officers accuse them of contempt of court for repeatedly defying judicial orders.  

The Ministry of Health has confirmed the destruction of nearly two million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including over half a million expired units, with a total value exceeding P16 million. This disclosure comes amid parliamentary inquiries into vaccine safety and administration practices in Botswana. Responding to questions from Leepetswe Lesedi, Member of Parliament for Serowe South, Assistant Minister of Health Lawrence Ookeditse provided detailed clarifications. He noted that the destroyed vaccines; 1,917,101 doses in total,...

  In Botswana, thousands of children are deprived of parental care, with the majority having lost their guardians to the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS, according to SOS Children’s Villages. Despite the government’s committed efforts to combat the epidemic, human suffering remains widespread, with nearly one in four adults aged 15 to 49 living with the virus. The economic repercussions are profound, as the disease predominantly strikes adults in their most productive years, leaving countless children...

The 2025 Administration of Justice (AOJ) annual report paints a stark picture of a justice system mired in paralysis, with Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases bearing the brunt of chronic resource shortages. Despite the introduction of specialized dockets intended to streamline these cases, the disposal rate for GBV matters has slipped to 44.88%, down from 46.08% in 2023. Notably, the report omits the breakdown of disposal rates and pending cases by individual magisterial stations; a detail...

Salia Mokobo, a pseudonym adopted to safeguard his professional reputation, shared a poignant account of how his parents’ divorce shattered his childhood and continues to reverberate through his adult life. Born in January 1993 as the youngest of four siblings, Mokobo was barely a year old when his mother filed for divorce in 1994. He later learned that the dissolution of their marriage stemmed from his father’s struggle with alcoholism and the ensuing physical and...

A former BPS Warder speaks out: The Prison environment breeds recidivism Behind the formidable gates of Moshupa Boys’ Prison, a poignant question lingers in the air: are these young lives being genuinely rehabilitated, or merely concealed from society’s view? As of December 2025, 191 boys found themselves confined within these walls. Among them, 91 had been convicted, while 98 remained in a judicial limbo, awaiting their turn in court, a daunting threshold at the outset...