Botswana FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION PRINT MEDIA Judges suspended Botswana Gazette offices raided The independence of the Third Estate – the judiciary – came under attack, when President Ian Khama suspended four judges on August 28, under Section 97 of the Botswana Constitution for alleged misconduct and bringing the judiciary into disrepute. This followed a petition signed by 12 judges, including the suspended four, calling for the impeachment of Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo. Just a few days after the commemoration of the 2015 World Press Freedom Day under the theme “Let journalism thrive! Towards better reporting, gender equality in the digital age” the Botswana Gazette offices were raided by the DCEC on the premise that the newspaper carried a story that disclosed information on a case they were investigating. Section 44 of the DCEC Act prohibits anyone from disseminating information on any case being investigated by Botswana’s corruption watchdog. The four judges - Justice Key Dingake, Justice Modiri Letsididi, Mercy Garekwe and Justice Rainer Busang had written a letter, along with their eight counterparts to the Chief Justice complaining about the poor conditions of service in the Judiciary. In the same letter, the 12 Judges also collectively disapproved of the conduct of the Chief Justice and questioned his suitability to hold office. Acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission President then accused the four judges of “misbehaviour” and suspended them. In his court papers President Khama disclosed that he suspended the judges for undermining Chief Justice Dibotelo and bringing the judiciary into disrepute. Khama suspended them after they challenged Justice Dibotelo’s move to report them to the police for receiving housing allowances while staying in official residences.1 1 Mmegi Online - Botswana urged to lift judges’ suspension http://www.mmegi. bw/index.php?aid=54746&dir=2015/ october/09#sthash.3jGZTql0.dpuf The Botswana Gazette broke a story linking a Zambian national, who was deported from the country to alleged corrupt deals linked to his relationship with the Directorate on Intelligence and Security Services (DISS), and the ruling Botswana Democratic Party. During the raid, the staff was prevented from entering the building, computers were confiscated, and the following day, the newspaper’s managing director, Rudolf Shike Olsen and journalists, Lawrene Seretse and Innocent Selatlhwa were arrested and their lawyer Joao Salbany was detained. DCEC justified the raid on the grounds that the investigation had been recently initiated and the DCEC was concerned that the potential witnesses could be intimidated by the corrupt officials involved in the case. “The matter in fact is a fresh matter that the DCEC is investigating. DCEC is worried because the Chitube article alerted some corrupt characters that we are still investigating. It has also exposed the potential witnesses which could now be intimidated by the corrupt fellows we are after,” said the source. So This is Democracy? 2015 21