BOTSWANA: GOVERNMENT WILL NOT AMEND DEATH PENALTY LAW – MINISTER

February 24, 2017: The Botswana government has no plans to amend the law governing the death penalty, Defence, Justice and Security Minister Shaw Kgathi told parliament.
Kgathi said 39 convicted prisoners have been executed since 1966.
Ordinary prisoners do not play any role in the execution of condemned prisoners, Kgathi said.
He revealed that there was no hangman for the task.
“But a selected team made up of prison officers undertake execution of condemned prisoners,” Kgathi told parliament.
The minister said the standard method of carrying out the death sentence as prescribed by law is hanging.
“The sentence shall not be carried out in any way until the law has been changed or amended, and currently there is no consideration to use other methods of execution,” said Kgathi. (Sources: APA-Gaborone, 24/02/2017)