Honourable Justice Goitseone Nanikie Nkwe

Chairperson, African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

Honourable Justice Goitseone Nanikie Nkwe-Tabane is a Social Worker; she holds a Master’s of Social Work from the University of Natal, South Africa, and a Bachelor’s of Social Work from the University of Botswana. She has held several positions in the Public Service of Botswana including serving as Policy Advisor for Orphan Care and Home-Based Care in the Ministry of Local Government, thereafter serving as Director for Social Services in the same Ministry.  

She has also worked as Technical Advisor for Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Government of Lesotho. Working under the Health Systems Strengthening Project, she was instrumental in the establishment of the Child Welfare Unit of the then-Department of Social Welfare and in the introduction of the Lesotho Child Cash Grant for families caring for orphans and vulnerable children. She also contributed to the establishment of the Ministry of Social Development of Lesotho in which the Child Welfare Unit was elevated to a Department. 

Ms. Nkwe was instrumental in the establishment of HIV & AIDS mitigation programs; particularly the Orphan and Vulnerable Children’s policies, strategic plans and programs in both Botswana and Lesotho during the heightened fight against the HIV pandemic. She has extensive experience of working with development partners in developing, implementation and monitoring of child welfare programs.  She also contributed to the review of the Botswana Children’s Act of 1981 which led to the enactment of the 2009 Children’s Act.  She is currently serving as Deputy District Commissioner in Botswana; where she is the administrative head of a Sub-District and is responsible for coordination of district development programs. In this position she also serves as Commissioner for Child Welfare in the District.