Exercise extra caution!

The Monitor Editor | Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:09

Unfortunately, petty thieves tend to be more vicious around this time as they also prepare for the festive season. Culturally, many Batswana go home for the holiday, and petty thieves are amongst those who go home. Burglaries, car break-ins, and attacks on unsuspecting pedestrians seem to be on the rise!

That is not all, as scammers continue to take money from pensioners as well as other Batswana who may fall prey to their unscrupulous tactics. The Botswana Police Service has time and again warned the public against giving their personal details to people they do not know over the phone, but some people nonetheless still fall prey to these individuals.

It has become clear that thieves are going nowhere, and survivors of their attacks have often shared stories that the petty thieves usually tell them that they are on the job just like anyone else. These outcasts seem to have organised themselves to make sure that they terrorise law-abiding citizens and do so with so much arrogance and cruelty.

It is up to us now as citizens to take care of ourselves and protect our property. Most victims are attacked at night, whilst enjoying drinks with friends at bars, at home whilst sleeping, or driving home from their engagements. In past weeks, a scary number of individuals reported being attacked by thieves taking all their belongings and beating them up just for fun.

Yes, BPS usually intensify patrols over the Christmas holidays, but let us assist by being vigilant, avoiding unnecessary trips at night and ensuring that we improve our home security where we can. Our security is our responsibility. Whilst many people are attacked whilst going home from work after knocking off late, some are night crawlers who just love going from one place to another drinking alcohol and that, in all honesty, is looking for trouble.

It is common knowledge that drinking minimises a person’s ability to think, plan, and reasonably evaluate situations, hence why it is not a good idea to drive around town in a drunken stupor. Driving around in such a state at night not only leaves one unprotected in terms of being attacked by thugs, but it is also a danger to oneself and other road users.

So many people have been stabbed to death trying to fight off petty thieves who often carry weapons. Let's take it upon ourselves to protect our lives and property and stay safe. In the long run, if we deny these thugs the opportunity to rob us, they will maybe consider legal ways of making money.