Gov’t to build 28 police stations
Pini Bothoko | Monday February 13, 2023 06:00
Minister of Defence and Security, Kagiso Mmusi revealed this when officiating at a three-day ministry’s performance management forum retreat that was held at Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel.
He said the construction of the project would also include the refurbishment of four old design police stations and three staff houses of which seven are ongoing.
Additionally, Mmusi stated that in an effort to ensure that Batswana are safe and there is peace and tranquility, the ministry will in the immediate next financial year (2023-24) recruit 1,000 police officers to capacitate the current establishment to reduce crime.
He further revealed that the ministry will also implement the integrated prison security solutions to address issues related to unlawful escapes, prohibited items such as knives, drugs and others.
“Other key priorities would be the enhancement of kgomo khumo initiative to address livestock theft and rustling, professionalisation of private security services to enhance self regulation, implement the prison food security strategy, resource the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) to enhance staff accommodation and defence air transport,” he said.
Mmusi also revealed the operationalisation of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to address the ever- escalating issues of substance abuse and misuse. He added that there are currently ongoing that are expected to bring peace and tranquility.
“These include but not limited to reduction of crime through specialised technology commonly known as unmanned aerial vehicle or drones, optimise safer city CCTV surveillance systems for crime control and prevention, prioritise sobriety check-points and saturation patrol programmes towards police visibility, establish border patrol unit at Botswana Police Service and opening of child friendly police service centres at Francistown, Maun, Palapye and Lobatse,” Mmusi said.
Additionally, he said this financial year the ministry will also ensure that it provides accommodation to soldiers who have been faced with shortage of housing for years. “Soldiers are currently staying in tents, shared small houses and the ministry will ensure that they have suitable accommodation,” Mmusi said. Focusing on the retreat, Mmusi said Batswana are having sleepless nights as they are tormented by criminals who harass them even in the comfort of their homes.
“The nation is overwhelmed with crime, people literally do not sleep because of criminals who trouble them day and night. I am pleading with you as the management team to take part, let your contribution be visible and help us eliminate crime,” Mmusi said.
The Afrobarometer report released by Star Awards recently indicated that many Batswana are of the view that government is performing badly on reducing crime as it continues to spiral out of control. The survey indicated that half of Batswana say they feel unsafe in their neighbourhood while about the same proportion feared crime in their homes.
Its key findings further indicated that feeling unsafe in the neighbourhood is far more common amongst citizens as 50% of them felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhood and almost 45% report fearing crime in their homes.
Violent crime is rising in the Greater Gaborone and as history has it, one might fear that it may spread across the nation as innocent citizens are becoming victims of the merciless criminals who are not afraid to kill.
Of recent the country has experienced an upsurge in cases of robberies where in most cases there was use of fire arms and thereby posing danger to the lives of both members of the public and law enforcement officers.
Moreover, gender-based violence (GBV) related offences such as murder, rape and defilement of persons under the age of 18 are also a serious cause of concern as well as other crimes like the rise in drug use and stock theft cases to mention but a few.