The Directorate of Public Prosecutions ( DPP) is expected to soon fully relieve the Botswana Police Service ( BPS) of all the prosecutorial service.

According to the Minister of Justice, Machana Shamukuni concerted efforts are ongoing to fully relieve the BPS of delegated prosecutorial duties. He said the DPP has revised the Takeover Strategy to enable a seamless and gradual takeover of prosecution from the BPS without overwhelming and over- stretching the thin resources at its disposal.

The Minister indicated that the Revised Takeover Strategy which was adopted for implementation in August 2022 entails relieving all the BPS stations of prosecutorial roles in areas where DPP offices are located.

Shamukuni told Parliament when presenting the budget for the Attorney General Chambers for the Financial Year 2023/ 24 that thus far, complete takeover has been achieved on a total of 22 Police Stations in Maun, Selebi- Phikwe, Palapye, Francistown and Kasane. Lobatse, he said, is scheduled for complete takeover of prosecutorial duties from the BPS by the end of May 2023.

“The Kasane DPP Satellite office has since been established and became operational effective 1st February 2023. As reported previously, preparations are at an advanced stage to open a satellite office in Tsabong to curtail expenses, as well as frequent long distance trips to these areas as it is currently serviced by Lobatse DPP office. Despite the delays occasioned by the protracted procurement process, it is expected that the office will be operational by March 2023,” the Minister revealed.

He said the DPP’s endeavour to expand and decentralise is often frustrated by the acute shortage of accommodation. However, not all is doom and gloom since the construction of the Maun DPP Office is nearing completion. The Minister added that this project is expected to be completed and ready for occupation by May 2023.

Shamukuni stated that the DPP exists to prosecute all cases emanating from law enforcement agencies, as well as to prosecute appeals from all levels of Courts, Magistrate Court, Customary, Court of Appeal and the High Court.

The Minister noted that the DPP is still faced with a dire shortage of resources to efficiently spread its services countrywide and respond to new forms of crime. He said the DPP has consistently maintained an 80 percent success rate in matters completed at court.

As at the end of January 2023, the success rate stood at 82.3 percent against a target of 90 percent, while the average performance in respect of turnaround time for conclusion of cases at court stood at 17.5 months against a target of 18 months, the Minister told Parliament.

DPP statistics show that the DPP has a total of 11 903 files being cases and dockets as at January 2023. The Minister said this is a significant increase in the number of cases being handled by the DPP; having in mind that in November 2021 the DPP had just over 8 471 files.

“Out of the total case load 8 382 are cases pending before various courts while, 3521 are dockets received from law enforcement agencies of which 1 325 are awaiting service of summons, while the rest are being assessed for suitability of prosecution or otherwise.

“The implementation of the prosecution takeover project has inevitably increased the workload of the 211 Prosecutors in the DPP establishment. For effectiveness, it is the DPP’s desire to have a manageable and optimum ratio of cases or dockets per Prosecutor”, Shamukuni told Parliament.

He said his ministry has identified backlog as an impediment to access to justice. “Chambers is dealing with its fair share of the challenge.”

The Minister admitted that cases are not being concluded as expeditiously as they ought to. He said at the Attorney General’s Chambers, a backlog audit exercise has been carried out, the idea being to dedicate resources to these cases.

Shamukuni explained that one of the long term solutions in this regard is to broaden the decentralisation of legal services to Ministries and Government Departments and proactively reduce both litigation and attendant costs of litigation.