- Says president Boko missed an opportunity to walk his talk
- Suggests panel-led recruitment process would have been ideal
- Has no problem with new CJ’s credentials but questions transparency
BONGANI MALUNGA
The Leader of Opposition (LOO), Dumelang Saleshando, has questioned the process to appoint the new Chief Justice Gaopalelwe Ketlogetswe, for its lack of transparency.
Speaking in an interview on Duma FM, Saleshando stated that the process goes against what the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has long criticised the previous government for.
He asserted that President Duma Boko should have invited more candidates to come forward and present their credentials.
Panel
Saleshando, who is the president of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), said a panel should have been appointed to provide oversight on the prospective candidates’ applications and prepare a detailed report on the best candidate.
He is adamant that such a process would have prioritised meritocracy where the best candidate would have prevailed. “To be honest, I am disappointed,” he said. “I know that in his defence, he did not bypass or manipulate any laws.
“But I thought he would give himself more time to think about the change he desires to see in the judicial system.
Conflict of interest
“He missed an opportunity to walk the talk. The UDC has long said it wants such appointments to be made in public and for Parliament to take part in the process.”
Saleshando added that eyebrows are likely to be raised if the appointment unearths conflict of interest upon further investigation and “questions arise about whether the Chief Justice has ever ruled against the UDC”.
“Could this be a friend rewarding a friend?,” he queried. “There is no transparency, so he has opened the gates for such questions to be asked.”
Flawed
Saleshando, whose party is Botswana’s official opposition, repeated that he personally has no doubts about Ketlogetswe’s capabilities and emphasised that it is the process of Ketlogetswe’s appointment that he deems flawed.
“I have no qualms with the competence of the new Chief Justice,” he said. “I have known him for a long time.
“All I am saying is that where there is no transparency and competition, you are compromising even the most suitable candidate because questions will persist about the appointment.”