There will be no more jobs for hangmen in Botswana, and the hang-man's noose at the Maximum Prison at the Village in Gaborone may turn into a relic, while two men currently awaiting to die by hanging may not taste death by hanging. That is because there will be no more hangings unless and until the government challenges last week's history changing High Court ruling by Justice Motswagole that outlawed hanging.
The lawyer who brought about this change in Botswana, Kgosietsile Ngakaagae was the toast of the night on Thursday at Maru-A-Pula, where Ditshwanelo Human Rights NGO and its partners gathered to commemorate World day against the Death penalty.
And when his moment on the podium arrived, lawyer Ngakaagae announced that as a result of the recent High Court ruling there will be no more hangings in Botswana; they shall remain suspended until Justice Motswagole's judgment is overturned at the Court of Appeal, if ever it is challenged.
For Distwahnelo, who have been campaigning against the death penalty since the mid 90's, Ngakaagae's triumph is a victory to savor. In 1998 they funded an appeal case involving the death penalty which they hoped would be used as a test case leading to the abolishing of the death penalty. The case involved Tlhabologang Maauwe and Gwara Brown Motswetla (two San/Basarwa men) who were arrested in 1995 for murdering the owner of an ox they had stolen. Although Ditshwanelo won the two men their freedom, the case did not overturn the death penalty.
Ditshwanelo commemorated the World Day Against The Death Penalty under the theme, 'The families of victims of murder'. The main focus of the day was to put the views of the victims' families at the centre of discussion as well as promoting informed public debate about the death penalty. In her welcome remarks, director of Ditshwanelo Alice Mogwe mentioned that Ditshwanelo has been involved in working for the abolition of the death penalty since 1995. "Over the years, during our public-awareness campaigns, it has become clear that the question of the victim and the victims' families need to be urgently addressed," she said.
She continued that Ditshwanelo has over the years been accused of focusing only on the murderer and his/her rights and not dealing with the rights of the victim and the victim's family, she said the effect of this has been to limit their ability to engage constructively with the public.
University of Botswana Visual and Performing Arts students performed a breath taking play titled 'Under the Shadow of the Noose'. The events of the play summed up the day in a form of entertainment where the audience was introduced to ways that lead to the death penalty being imposed on people and how the families do not really receive counselling. Under the direction of professor David Kerr the cast members clearly demonstrated the effects of the death penalty to both the victim and the murderer's family.
Amnesty International, a group from Maruapula then gave a brief presentation of death penalty and its use around the world and in Botswana, also stating that Botswana is amongst the countries in the world that had the highest death penalties.
The audience was then treated to emotional testimonies from the Murder Victim's Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) who shared their experiences as victim's families. Yolanda Littlejohn's sister was murdered in 1991 and Kate Lowenstein's father was murdered in 1980.
The two women made many emotional when they shared how they suffered after their loved ones where taken from them by killers who were not even sorry after committing the crime.
MVFHR is a USA-based organization of people who have lost family members to murder or execution but who oppose the death penalty.
source: the Monitor
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