Botswana Minute.
Friday, 16 October 2026
Botswana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Friday, 16 October 2026
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Botswanan press · Organization

High Court

Also known as: Botswana's High Court · High Court in Francistown

Botswana's superior court handling civil, criminal, and constitutional matters, recently overturning asset restraints and managing high-profile cases involving prosecutorial authority and statutory disputes.

2026-04-272026-10-16

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. August 2026
  2. Mmegi

    … The ruling also reinforces government's position that public officers who move from the teaching cadre into non-teaching positions become subject to the retirement conditions applicable to their new posts.Tamaki had through his attorney Chabuya Lowani approached the High Court se …

    Court rejects ex- teacher’s bid to return to work
  3. Mmegi

    The country’s two largest feedlot operators told the High Court they have already lost P27.8 million and exhausted bank funding. …

    Feedlot giants staring at P27.8m loss
  4. Daily News Botswana

    The Court of Appeal overturned a High Court decision that had refused to grant Government summary judgment against Mr Seretse and Khulaco. …

    Govt wins P42 million case against Bakang
  5. July 2026
  6. Weekend Post

    Pro-Serve Consulting Botswana has secured a significant legal victory after the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court order that had frozen funds linked to the Modipane-Mabalane Road project and restricted the company from managing aspects of the contract. …

    Appeal Court hands Pro-Serve major contract victory
  7. Weekend Post

    Prominent attorney and political leader Biggie Ganda Butale has taken the Attorney General to the High Court, challenging the legality of a 2026 administrative order that removed the “unnatural offences” laws from the nation’s statute books without a final vote in Parliament. …

    Butale sues Attorney General over illegal deletion of Penal Code
  8. Weekend Post

    … He argued that the High Court and Court of Appeal have hidden behind the doctrine of constitutional avoidance to avoid determining constitutional questions. …

    A discussion of the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2025: the case for judicial independence
  9. Weekend Post

    The long-awaited trial of four suspects accused of the brutal 2022 murder of Kopong schoolteacher Barulaganye Aston is finally scheduled to begin in the High Court. …

    Kopong murder case set for trial
  10. Botswana Sunday Standard

    … Four opposition Members of Parliament have approached the High Court seeking condonation for failing to submit mandatory election expense returns. …

    Court application raises doubt about eligibility of the current parliament
  11. Botswana Sunday Standard

    … In court papers filed before the High Court in Francistown, the judge drivers have accused the Attorney General’s Chambers of attempting to evade its financial obligations by arguing that the matter has already been concluded, despite allegedly failing to settle the full amount a …

    Govt accused of defying rule of law in P20 million judge drivers debt battle
  12. Mmegi

    He filed a memorandum of appearance to defend the lawsuit in the High Court, rejecting the state-owned airline's claim that he is liable for P249, 355.39 in damages allegedly arising from his refusal to operate a flight on June 21, 2026.The legal dispute reportedly stems from the …

    Former Air Botswana captain denies liability over cancelled Jo’burg flight

Monday 12 October

  1. Bakang escalates DCEC prosecutorial powers dispute to High Court

    Bakang Seretse and three others have filed an appeal against a ruling by Broadhurst Regional Magistrate Mareledi Dipate that permitted DCEC officers to continue prosecuting the National Petroleum Fund case. The defendants are facing 63 counts including stealing by agent, money laundering, forgery of an official document and conspiracy to defraud government.

    12 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

  2. Bakang Seretse challenges delegated prosecutorial authority in High Court

    Businessman Bakang Seretse is challenging prosecutors handling his 63-count case in a High Court proceeding that could test the legal foundation for delegated prosecutorial authority.

    12 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  3. Government executives seek voluntary exit amid union court battle

    Officers on E and F salary scales have grown frustrated as unions pursue court action against the government's Voluntary Separation Programme, with the National Amalgamated Local and Central Government and Parastatal Workers Union taking government to the High Court to halt a recent exit process.

    12 October 2026 · Mmegi →

Friday 9 October

  1. Dawnbell challenges copyright royalty ruling in High Court appeal

    Dawnbell, represented by Ndadi Law Firm, has filed an appeal in the High Court against a Magistrate's Court decision ordering it to pay over P38,000 in copyright royalties. The academy argues the court imposed liability without requiring COSBOTS to disclose the specific materials and authors on which the royalty claim was based.

    9 October 2026 · Mmegi →

Monday 5 October

  1. Boko urges judicial accuracy as two justices take bench

    President Duma Boko swore in Justice Professor Tachilisa Balule to the High Court and Justice Tshegofatso Mogomotsi to the Court of Appeal, urging both to minimise errors in their decisions and recognise the weight their rulings carry for litigants, families, and society.

    5 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 14 September

  1. GUC law graduates appeal High Court bar exam rejection

    Led by Arnold Rapula Somolekae, a group of GUC graduates has filed an appeal against a High Court judgment that closed the door on their bid to sit bar examinations, arguing the court misdirected itself and that the Law Society of Botswana acted unlawfully. The appeal escalates the dispute from a fight over 21 examination places into a wider legal battle over who controls entry into Botswana's legal profession and the validity of the Leeds Beckett University-GUC law programme.

    14 September 2026 · Mmegi →

Monday 31 August

  1. Businessman seeks removal of judges from appeal court case

    Bakang Seretse has requested that Court of Appeal Judge President Tebogo Tau and Justice of Appeal Isaac Lesetedi recuse themselves from a pending appeal involving disputed interest exceeding P50 million, arguing that critical remarks they made in a previous ruling about him undermine their impartiality in the current matter.

    31 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. High Court overturns asset restraint on Kgosi estate

    The High Court has voided a restraining order that had frozen the properties of the late Isaac Seabelo Kgosi since 2019, ruling in favour of his estate and criticizing the state's investigative procedures and lack of procedural fairness in the ex parte proceedings.

    31 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

  3. High Court voids Kgosi asset restraint order from 2019

    The High Court has ruled in favour of the estate of the late Isaac Seabelo Kgosi, dismantling a restraining order that had frozen his properties since 2019 and rebuking the state's investigative apparatus.

    31 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Wednesday 26 August

  1. State challenges Butale's legal standing in decriminalisation case

    Government has filed a preliminary challenge seeking High Court determination of whether Biggie Butale has legal standing to challenge the statutory removal of Penal Code provisions that once criminalised consensual same-sex relations.

    26 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. DPP orders inquest into Palapye police shooting death

    The Attorney General's Chambers announced that the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided to conduct a full inquest into the death of Potso, who was killed in a Palapye police shooting. The inquest has been registered before the Palapye Magistrate's Court and is awaiting a hearing date.

    26 August 2026 · Mmegi →

Monday 24 August

  1. Government acknowledges Gaoberekwe burial set precedent in reserve

    Botswana's government told Parliament this week that allowing Pitseng Gaoberekwe to be buried in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve last December had set a precedent, framing the decision as "administrative mercy" and an act of restorative justice toward the San people. The government defended the move despite questions about whether it undermined court rulings or violated constitutional separation of powers.

    24 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Wednesday 19 August

  1. Government appeals ruling on Basubiya chief's salary scale

    Government has appealed a High Court ruling that awarded the Basubiya Paramount Chief the E2 salary scale, arguing that succession under the Bogosi Act does not automatically confer the higher remuneration.

    19 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Tuesday 18 August

  1. Court orders police to reinstate superintendent after decade-long case

    The Court of Appeal has ordered the Botswana Police Service to reinstate Superintendent Christopher Molobe to his former rank, ending a ten-year legal battle. The ruling, issued on July 31, 2026, found that police officials made irrational decisions and serious legal errors in disciplinary proceedings stemming from allegations of theft involving money held as evidence at Ghanzi Police Station.

    18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. AG seeks directions in High Court over sodomy law removal

    The Attorney General has formally approached the High Court seeking directions on how to proceed in a case challenging the administrative removal of sodomy laws. Biggie Ganda Butale, an attorney and President of the Botswana Republican Party, argues that the Attorney General overstepped his legal authority when issuing Statutory Instrument No. 41 of 2026, which removed provisions criminalizing "unnatural offences," despite courts having declared them unconstitutional in 2019 and 2021.

    18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 17 August

  1. Government disputes feedlot operators' FMD containment claims

    Feedlot operators have taken government officials to the High Court, claiming losses of P27.8 million, but the government argues in its affidavit that the farmers seek to expose the public to the risk of Foot and Mouth disease spread for private economic benefit.

    17 August 2026 · Mmegi →

Wednesday 12 August

  1. Cooler box murder accused criticizes delays in trial

    Mogotsi, accused of robbing and fatally stabbing Magang outside Dladleng Entertainment Centre in 2015, expressed frustration in court over repeated postponements dating back years, including complaints about his own legal representation. Both the State and defence failed to file heads of argument as ordered, and the trial was postponed again with continuation set for the following day.

    12 August 2026 · Mmegi →

Monday 10 August

  1. Court of Appeal upholds cancellation of Kgatleng Water tender

    The Court of Appeal dismissed construction company Black Cad Investments' bid to revive a long-running government infrastructure tender, ruling that procurement authorities acted lawfully when they cancelled the project for water and sanitation infrastructure in Morwa West, Kgatleng after years of disputes and investigations.

    10 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

  2. BDF retirees threaten march, court action over pension dispute

    Botswana Defence Force retirees have escalated a long-running pension dispute, demanding permission to march to President Duma Boko's Office and threatening High Court action over the government's failure to respond for nearly two months to a request to deliver a petition about 1/375 Transfer Value Enhancement pension payments.

    10 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Monday 3 August

  1. Four BDP MPs admit forgetting legal requirement in court filing

    Four BDP MPs—Mabuse Mopati Pule, Karabo Socraat Gare, Kagiso Thomas Mmusi, and Palelo Keitseope Motaosane—have filed an affidavit in the High Court admitting they forgot about a legal requirement and did not know the consequences of failing to comply.

    3 August 2026 · Mmegi →

  2. Court allows BDP MPs to submit late election expense returns

    Judge Mokwadi Gabanagae granted an order on July 24 allowing four BDP MPs to submit their election expense returns after the 90-day statutory deadline, requiring submission within 30 days of the order or the relief lapses.

    3 August 2026 · Mmegi →

  3. Court dismisses ex-teacher's challenge to compulsory retirement

    Justice Ranier Busang rejected Cassius Tamaki's bid to review his forced retirement at age 60, finding he failed to establish that the government's decision was unlawful or breached legitimate expectations. The ruling confirms that public officers who move from teaching into non-teaching positions become subject to the retirement conditions of their new posts.

    3 August 2026 · Mmegi →

  4. Feedlot operators face P27.8m loss from cattle slaughter delays

    Botswana's two largest feedlot operators have told the High Court they have lost P27.8 million and exhausted bank funding, with 6,609 market-ready cattle stuck in feedlots for over 100 days and at risk of dying from hunger and organ failure. The firms seek urgent court relief to either have the cattle slaughtered by the BMC or exported immediately, warning of imminent business collapse and threats to hundreds of jobs and the wider beef value chain.

    3 August 2026 · Mmegi →

  5. Court of Appeal awards Government P42 million against Bakang

    Botswana's Court of Appeal overturned a High Court decision and granted summary judgment in favour of Government for P42 million against Mr Seretse and Khulaco, a company that received the amount as a transactional services fee from a P250 million transfer from the National Petroleum Fund in 2017. The court found that Mr Seretse, through his involvement in multiple entities, had failed to disclose his interests and that the respondents provided no credible defence to allegations of breached fiduciary duties.

    3 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Friday 31 July

  1. Court of Appeal overturns High Court freeze on Pro-Serve funds

    The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court order that had frozen funds linked to the Modipane-Mabalane Road project and restricted Pro-Serve from managing aspects of the contract, ruling that Tau Grading & Building Construction failed to satisfy legal requirements for an anti-dissipation order. The dispute arose after Pro-Serve terminated its agreement with Tau Grading on the government-backed road project.

    31 July 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 27 July

  1. Butale sues Attorney General over Penal Code deletion procedure

    Prominent attorney Biggie Ganda Butale has taken the Attorney General to the High Court, challenging the legality of a 2026 administrative order that removed the "unnatural offences" laws from Botswana's statute books without a final vote in Parliament. Butale argues the Statutory Instrument No. 41 of 2026 bypassed parliamentary authority, contending that only Parliament has the power to repeal laws under Section 86 of the Constitution.

    27 July 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. Constitution Amendment Bill 2025 advances toward referendum on Constitutional Court

    The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025, adopted by the National Assembly to establish a Constitutional Court, now awaits a referendum before presidential assent. Debate focuses on whether the timing is appropriate given the country's economic situation, with proponents arguing a dedicated court protects democratic governance and human rights by ensuring constitutional questions are properly determined.

    27 July 2026 · Weekend Post →

Wednesday 22 July

  1. Kopong schoolteacher murder trial scheduled to begin

    The trial of four suspects accused of the 2022 murder of Kopong Junior Secondary School teacher Barulaganye Aston is scheduled to begin on August 9 before Justice Oteng Motlhala after years of delays. The accused—Oageng Moagi Letsholo, Leufty Gaolemogwe Kosie, Outlwile Aston, and Kebaleboge Ntsebe—face murder charges, with Letsholo also charged with rape related to the incident.

    22 July 2026 · Weekend Post →

Tuesday 21 July

  1. Four opposition MPs seek court condonation for missed expense returns

    Four opposition Members of Parliament have approached the High Court seeking condonation for failing to submit mandatory election expense returns, raising doubts about the legal status of legislators who may have continued sitting and voting in Parliament despite being disqualified under the Electoral Act.

    21 July 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Tuesday 14 July

  1. Government accused of dodging P20 million judge drivers debt

    The government has been accused of flouting the rule of law and deliberately delaying payment of millions of pula owed to 32 judge drivers over unpaid standby allowances. The judge drivers have accused the Attorney General's Chambers of attempting to evade its financial obligations despite a court award.

    14 July 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

High Court — Botswanan press coverage · Botswana Minute