3.       Effect of authentication

            (1) The provisions of this section shall apply in all criminal and civil proceedings in any court in Botswana and to the acceptance of documents by the officer in charge of any public office in Botswana.

            (2) A certificate which purports to be signed, sealed or stamped by an officer whose certificate is declared by this Act to be sufficient authentication of a document may be accepted in evidence without proof of the signature, seal or stamp of such officer, and when accepted shall be presumed to be signed, sealed or stamped by such officer.

            (3) The certificate of such officer shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein certified or attested.

            (4) Nothing in this Act shall prevent the acceptance by any court or officer in charge of a public office of other evidence that a document was in fact signed by the person by whom it purports to have been signed or as to capacity in which the person signing acted.