Published: 1938-12-23
Key Benefits:
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
1. Short title
2. Public holidays
3. Power 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.
An Act to make provision for public holidays.
[Date of Commencement: 23rd December, 1938]
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Public Holidays Act.
2. Public holidays
(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 or Boxing Day falls on a Monday, the following Tuesday shall be observed as a public holiday;
(iii) when the President's 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.
3. Power to appoint any day to be a public holiday
The President may from time to time by notice in the Gazette appoint any day not named in the Schedule, but specified in that notice, to be observed as a public holiday within Botswana.
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 next following Good Friday
Easter Monday
Ascension Day
President's Day (third Monday in July)
Tuesday following President's Day
Botswana Day (30th September)
Christmas Day
Boxing Day