Jwaneng, Moleps doing well in stocktheft cases

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday February 6, 2014 16:20

Speaking during the opening of the legal year, Dibotelo noted that provision of vehicles and fully equipped caravans was pivotal in the turnaround times.

He said the same cannot be said about Letlhakane, Palapye, Selebi-Phikwe, Francistown and Mochudi whose monthly disposal rates stand at 50 percent.

The Chief Justice said the reasons advanced for the low disposal rates resulting in high numbers of pending cases range from surmountable teething operational problems such as non-availability of prosecutors, defence attorneys, late arrival of inmates from remand facilities, lack of camping equipment for support staff as well as caravans and camping equipment for the other stakeholders.

'In this regard, the regional magistrates in charge of areas where these special stocktheft courts lie shall be required to closely monitor their performance by submitting monthly reports and indicating the interventions which they have put in place to ensure that these courts operate at their optimum level so that stock theft cases are expeditiously dealt with whilst the stock is still there,' he said.

Dibotelo added that last year the government provided the courts with seven vehicles to ensure that stocktheft cases are completed within the shortest period.