ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
1. Short title
2. Public holidays
3. Power of President to appoint any day to be a public holiday
4. References in written laws to public holidays
5. Non-business days for bills of exchange and promissory notes
Schedule
Proc. 70, 1938,
Proc. 52, 1950,
Proc. 66, 1952,
Proc. 30, 1958,
Cap. 44 (1959 ed.)
L.N. 84, 1966,
S.I. 43, 1967,
Act 60, 1968,
Act 55, 1970,
S.I. 133, 1971,
Act 28, 1977,
Act 16, 1982,
Act 9, 1996,
Act 17, 2006.
An Act to re-enact with amendments the Public Holidays Act.
[Date of Commencement: 15th September, 2006]
This Act may be cited as the Public Holidays Act.
(1) The days named in the Schedule shall be public holidays within Botswana:
Provided that—
(i) when any of the said days fall on a Sunday the following Monday shall be observed as a public holiday;
(ii) if 2nd January, 1st October or Boxing Day falls on a Monday, the following Tuesday shall be observed as a public holiday;
(iii) when Botswana Day referred to in the Schedule falls on a Saturday, the next following Monday shall be observed as a public holiday.
(2) Notwithstanding anything in subsection (1), only Christmas Day, Good Friday and Botswana Day shall be public holidays in the mining industry, which shall be taken to comprise such undertakings as may be engaged in the winning of minerals as defined in the Mines and Minerals Act (Cap. 66:01).
3. Power of President to appoint any day to be a public holiday
(1) If it appears to the President that, in the special circumstances of any year, it is necessary or expedient to do so in the national interest, the President may by notice in the Gazette declare any day not referred to in the Schedule as a public holiday, to be observed within Botswana.
(2) A day declared as a public holiday under subsection (1) shall be observed as a public holiday only on the day in the year in which it was so declared.
4. References in written laws to public holidays
Any reference in any written law in force in Botswana to public holidays shall be deemed to be a reference to public holidays as named by or appointed under the provisions of this Act and to no other days.
5. Non-business days for bills of exchange and promissory notes
Sunday and any other day named in the Schedule to, or appointed under the provisions of, this Act as a public holiday shall be deemed to be a non-business day within the meaning of any written law in force in Botswana relating to bills of exchange or promissory notes, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any such law.
SCHEDULE
New Year’s Day
2nd January
Good Friday
Saturday following Good Friday
Easter Monday
Ascension Day
Labour Day (1st May)
Sir Seretse Khama Day (1st July)
President’s Day (third Monday in July)
Tuesday following President’s Day
Botswana Day (30th September)
1st October
Christmas Day
Boxing Day