BOTSWANA USING FELLOW PRISONERS AS HANGMEN FOR DEATH ROW INMATES

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Justice and Security Segakweng Tsiane told the Public Accounts Committee that they decided to use inmates as hangmen after locals failed to respond to an advert that invited them to apply, APA learned on 8 October 2018.
After failing to get candidates for the position, the government had to turn to the Department of Prisons for assistance.
“We turned to the Department of Prisons to capacitate us,” Tsiane said.
She however could not state the number of death row inmates has Botswana executed since independence from Britain in 1966.
According to Tsiane, the inmates who had acted as hangmen are, however, left traumatised by the experience and now demanding that they be provided with counselling.
“They are offered counselling before carrying out the executions and after that,” she said.
The official said the ministry has re-advertised the hangmen position in an attempted to outsource the service to private companies.