Hundreds of police fired as ill-discipline runs amok
Pini Bothoko | Thursday March 2, 2017 12:17
By comparison, in the five years before August 2012, 146 officers were dismissed, Kgathi said in Parliament on Tuesday when responding to a question from Selebi-Phikwe West MP, Dithapelo Keorapetse.
The minister said the officers dismissed had been charged with offences that include neglect of duty, discreditable conduct and acting in a manner likely to bring discredit to the reputation of the service.
“Other offences are disobedience of lawful orders, cases rendering oneself unfit for duty through the consumption of intoxicating liquor or drugs and absenteeism from duty without leave or reasonable cause,” Kgathi said.
Asked why the numbers had risen of late, the Minister said the high dismissal of officers could be the result of the rising poor etiquette among police officers, which he said was handled through strict application of the law.
“Unlike here (Parliament) where you can insult elders and no action would be taken against you, in the disciplined forces it is not like that. Saying something like that is an offence where you can face the law,” Kgathi said.
Keorapetse also questioned the fitness to hold office of the current Police Commissioner, Keabetswe Makgophe, saying he had been promoted ahead of other worthy candidates in his rise to the top office.
“Those who are not aware, when the current commissioner was appointed, there was a deputy commissioner by the name of Kenny Kapinga who was qualified for that position,” Keorapetse said.
He went on to ask if the situation could be resulted by the commissioner’s unfitness towards his work or he just wanted to prove a point of holding the position even though he was not supposed to have been appointed.
Last November, Kapinga, now retired, was unveiled as a member of Keorapetse’s party, the Botswana Congress Party.
Responding to the MP’s charges, Kgathi said the allegations were unfair.
“I find it unfair to comment or answer to questions that discredit officers who are not part of the Parliament session, questioning their credibility on whether they were the right people to be appointed.
“You will appoint your police commissioner the time your party takes over governance. It is very unfair to discredit the police commissioner stating that there was someone who was supposed to have been appointed not him,” he said.