Ombudsman enhances Human Rights mandate

The Office of the Ombudsman is optimistic that its newly launched 2024-2029 strategic plan will be crucial as it comes at a time when Ombudsman is implementing the new human rights mandate tasked to the office following the amendment of Ombudsman Act. The Ombudsman launched a new strategic five-year plan on Thursday in Gaborone. Speaking at the launch, Ombudsman Stephen Tiroyakgosi said there is yet a detailed strategy focusing on the human rights enshrined in the Botswana’s constitution but are also being mindful of the treaties to which Batswana is party to in the area of human rights. 

He said these rights include among others, the right not to be discriminated against for any reason contemplated by the law, the right to life, protection from inhumane treatment, freedom of expression/ association, conscience etc. 

Tiroyakgosi said the office is now in a position to advance the human rights of all persons including people living with disability, the vulnerable and marginalized members of society.

He said some of the statutory functions conferred on the Ombudsman by the new Act include investigation of human rights violations both in the public and private sector, assisting government to monitor, address and report human rights at national and international and promote human rights culture through research and information dissemination on human rights etc. 

Meanwhile, Tiroyakgosi said the launch of the new strategic plan comes after a lot of consultations and preparations, adding that it would enhance efficiency with regards to service delivery towards the public. 

“Much of work has been done to ensure that the strategy caters for the purpose it is intended for, which is to foster administrative justice and protect the rights for all persons in Botswana,” said Tiroyakgosi. 

He also said their expectations from the new mandate are vast, he values the task given to the Ombudsman and the opportunity to work with dedicated stakeholders in the human rights sphere and the public at large. 

Targets 

Some of the strategic themes of the new strategy are legislative and policy mandate- human rights and administrative justice, public education, outreach and capacity building, stakeholder collaboration and resource management to mention but just a few. 

Ombudsman noted that it is keen to enhance human rights compliance by with a target set to achieve 90% compliance with international human rights treaties by 2026. 

It also said another priority is to improve public sector accountability which entails reducing complaints of maladministration by 30% by 2027. 

When the Ombudsman office was established in 1995 it was only mandated to investigate complaints of maladministration committed against the government and its agencies and recommended the remedial action where the complainant was prejudiced by administrative action from government or its agency. 

The office also received complaints of human rights violations, but could not investigate owing to its limited jurisdiction, hence the addition of human rights to its mandate when the act was amended by Parliament through the Ombudsman Bill, 2021.