Sophisticated crimes attract jobless graduates
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday August 27, 2024 11:40
Addressing stakeholders at the 12th annual National Community Policing Cluster Awards at Adansonia Hotel, he highlighted the growing unemployment crisis, which has left over 40,000 graduates roaming the streets. In his address, Mmolotsi stated that the country's security is at risk due to the large number of unemployed graduates going without jobs, emphasising that many possess advanced skills, including expertise in explosives—some acquired during their education and others as former mine workers now out of work. He said that crime has become extremely complex because it is committed by highly educated people with sophisticated minds.
“These are proficient individuals, for instance, a handful of them have degrees in science or are scientists who can create anything by combining chemicals. The same people can use their knowledge to put things together to survive,' Mmolotsi continued. He elaborated that the same graduates are now in a situation where their qualifications aren't helping them secure jobs as the unemployment crisis heightens. The Francistown South MP said that police officers in the country find themselves having to deal with highly skilled individuals. 'These individuals pose a significant risk to us and we aren't safe. Bombing cash-in-transit vehicles and ATMs is an easy task for them to make a living, as they have been trained to make things explode,' he added. The MP also noted that crime in Botswana, like in many other parts of the world, is not only increasing in numbers but also in complexity.
He said that combatting crime is a difficult task that calls for the greatest levels of innovation and forward-thinking. According to Mmolotsi, criminals operate like any other group in the business world. “They have targets, strategies, and a constant search for new ways to commit crimes and bypass the law and law enforcement. Setting goals and developing strategies are essential for any business looking to turn a profit. Because they are in business as well, criminals are constantly coming up with new and inventive ways to escape the law,” the MP said. Mmolotsi said the unemployment rate, approximately 33%, equates to over 333,000 people who should be working but aren't.
He stressed that if Botswana doesn't look closely at unemployment and create jobs, the police will be inundated with even more criminal cases, necessitating community involvement in terms of crime prevention cluster groups. Therefore, he implored every citizen to participate in crime prevention for a safer country. Aware of the risks involved with crime prevention volunteerism, Mmolotsi said they were lately informed of a volunteer losing their life in the Tswapong area in an unfortunate incident. He said it was important to address how compensation and remuneration can be advanced for volunteers, particularly that they too put their life on the line. Mmolotsi added that police officers needed to be motivated, acknowledging the difficulties they face in their line of work.