BDF, Police behaviour a reflection of society – Mohwasa
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday May 14, 2025 06:00
Mohwasa made the remarks responding to a question that was posed to him by this publication during a press conference at the closing ceremony of the Botswana Police Service Senior Officers Conference that was recently held at Special Support Group (SSG) Hall, Gaborone.
The Monitor had wanted to know the new government’s plans in responding to the brutal killings and what they could have since observed as the root cause of these killings. These include reports of officers allegedly killing their partners and appearing in court on charges such as rape, defilement, threat-to-kill to mention but a few.
“We seem to be living in an angry society that no longer values the sanctity of human life choosing to kill whenever it suits them. This is a national crisis, it would not be fair to only pin point members of the discipline forces. Batswana are no longer able to manage and control their emotions and this includes members of the disciplined forces who are not immune to what is happening in society,” Mohwasa said.
He added that the growing anger and inability to resolve disputes peacefully has made Botswana a violent nation hence the need to address this crisis holistically.
“Batswana are violent, Botswana is a violent country, and we have to address this crisis at a national level. It is no longer just about one group. Even in schools, teachers are no longer safe from violent students,” he said.
Mohwasa noted that teachers are increasingly calling for government intervention, including deploying security guards in schools for protection. However, he further highlighted research has since pointed out that drug abuse is a major contributor to the current violence across communities.
“Some of these horrific crimes can only be committed under the influence of drugs. The police have observed that drug use has reached schools and is affecting students’ behaviour, this ill-behaviour is also visible amongst communities where could fight for a small thing and ended up stabbing each other to death,” he said.
According to Mohwasa, when conflict arises, people tend to use whatever is within their reach, whether it’s a knife, beer bottle, or, in the case of security personnel, a service firearm.
Sharing the minister’s concerns, Police Commissioner Dinah Marathe revealed that mental health support for police officers has been prioritised as one of the key resolutions of the conference.
“Our officers live and serve in a troubled society and are often exposed to the same violence. Some of them have also committed such crimes. We have resolved to prioritise mental health,” said Marathe.
She added that the Botswana Police Service (BPS) plans to increase the number of psychologists and therapists available to officers and will consider bringing in external experts to strengthen mental health support structures.
As violent crime continues to escalate, authorities now face mounting pressure to implement comprehensive, society-wide solutions to restore peace and address the root causes of brutality affecting both civilians and members of law enforcement.