The Law Society of Botswana (LSB) has called for the prosecution of military intelligence officers who shot and killed John Kalafatis in Gaborone's Extension 12 last week.The LSB joined the chorus of condemnation of the killing and further called on the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) to back off from policing duties.
In a press statement, signed by LSB chairman Tebogo Sebego and executive secretary Tebogo Moipolai, the society says that it is concerned about the outrageous and rising number of incidents of torture and shooting of unarmed civilians by state security agents.
The Law Society says government should come out and unequivocally reassure the nation that it does not support torture and extra judicial killings.
The law society is of the view that these are worrisome incidents which bring to the fore matters of human rights and the rule of law that form the core of Botswana’s democracy. As such the LSB wants government to show that it is committed to the rule of law that “Batswana are so accustomed to”.
LSB notes with concern that a majority of these incidents of torture and shooting that have led to injury and death “are apparently done by state security agents who have no, or dubious credentials relating to policing and crime”.
The organisation is of the view that these incidents bring to the fore matters of human rights and the rule of law that form the core of Botswana’s democracy.
It also states that it is surprised that ever since the killings erupted there has not been an inquiry like before. “Whilst in the past inquests were routinely held where civilians had been killed, this has not been the case in the last at least seven killings since 2008,”says the LSB statement.
LSB is accusing government of shielding the killers by failing to commission an inquest into the killings and allegations of torture. “Who is being protected, is it the killers or are the killers acting on instruction?”
The society says that Vice President Mompati Merafhe’s comment this week concerning the killing of “Kalafatis shows that the country is sliding into anarchy”. When asked by this newspaper about Kalafatis’ death at the hands of security officers, Merafhe justified the shooting, saying the killing of one person could not dent the country’s credibility.
“We know that these killings have caused immense fear in the nation and in our view indicate a dangerous slide down towards anarchy,” states the law society.
Mmegi Online