A total of seven magistrates around the country will be allocated caravans to operate from when dealing with stock theft cases.
Speaking to Sunday Standard, the Registrar and Master of the High Court in Lobatse, Godfrey Nthomiwa, said that the caravans will be distributed throughout the country to Francistown, Selebi Phikwe, Letlhakane, Palapye, Mochudi, Jwaneng and Molepolole.
Nthomiwa said that the caravans will be used by magistrates to lodge in when dealing with stock theft cases. He said that this will provide for the magistrates with a place to work from while running their proceedings. He added that the caravans were bought as an initiative that will allow magistrates to go directly where perishable exhibits are, in this case livestock, as it is a costly and draining process to transfer the exhibits directly to the courts.
Nthomiwa said that the cases will be better and best handled if the magistrates go there directly.
He added that the caravan initiative has a double effect in that justice will be taken directly to the people and it will also make it possible for magistrates to deal with a number of stock theft cases at a time.
Nthomiwa said that the caravans will enable quicker service delivery to the public as cases will be dealt with while the perishable evidence is still there unlike before.
He added that the caravans will, as soon as they are registered, be dispatched to their destinations where they are expected to start being used on arrival and as need directs.
Nthomiwa could, however, not be drawn into divulging the total amount of money spent on buying the caravans.
