When are we policing the police?

Mmegi Editor | Monday June 13, 2022 06:00

After serving only a few months of their sentences, the soldiers were granted an unexplained presidential pardon by ex-president Ian Khama.

In 2012, John’s father, James Kalafatis, died after being savagely beaten and dumped behind the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks in Mogoditshane. John’s brother, Costa Kalafatis, was shot and wounded by policemen in December 2013, who alleged he was suspected of theft and was evading arrest.

The Minister of Defence and Security, Kagiso Mmusi recently instructed the police to do whatever it takes to eliminate petty crime. Mmusi was highly concerned by the increase in petty criminal activities such as smash and grab and instances of people attacked in the comfort of their homes. As much as the nation celebrates these killings, we have to be sure that the Kalafatis issue is not relived. There has been a whole lot of police shootings of robbers in exchange of fire that are never reported on in details by law enforcement authorities.

Adding to recent brawling between DIS and Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), it is further cry that we need an Independent body to overlook all security organs to ensure that what they do is within the law.

The Kalafatis issue and indeed many others have shown in the past that security organs are capable of doing bad and covering up themselves.

We call on you Mr President Mokgweetsi Masisi to Act now and ensure that the justice field is levelled. Over the past two years we have heard more than 20 suspected armed criminals eliminated, But no detailed report has been given for any.

These could be piling, but it is never too late for international bodies, families and other stakeholders to demand accountability. This can never be good to our country. We further call on Parliament to stand up and come up with the law to introduce this to protect both the public and security officials.

To all the police officers, kindly know that you could find yourselves in the cold when the push comes to the shove. We thus encourage you to be professional at all cost and execute your mandate in accordance with the law. It is however, important to note that we value your work, and your lives, thus where reasonable we do not have a problem with you acting accordingly.

Today’s Thought

“When you have police officers who abuse citizens, you erode public confidence in law enforcement. That makes the job of good police officers unsafe”

― Mary Frances Berry