The little known history of "Crime File"

| Friday June 29, 2012 00:00

At the start of the millennium, the program was synonymous with the deep voice of Senior Superintendent Dipheko Motube. It was at this time that I became a loyal listener of Crime File, the police crime-prevention show hosted on Radio Botswana I. The deep voice of presenter Dipheko Motube would come through the small radio, painting a picture of the dramatic tales of the criminal world. I was introduced to the magic of radio, and therein I developed a keen interest in police work. However, that was then. I doubt any teenager in this day in age has time for shows like Sepodise Gompieno.

The program began in 1984, after the then Botswana Police Force realized that there was a gap between them and the public and that community policing strategy was not yet in place. They resolved to start crime prevention committees, that consisted of the police and members of the public.The resolution was made in a meeting that was held in Mahalapye and in an effort to find a way of disseminating information, they agreed on introducing a radio program that was then called 'Sepodise gompieno' and a magazine to communicate with the public.The main content of the program at the beginning was broadcasting the speech of the Police Commissioner and information that was said at the crime prevention committee meetings.

In 1997 the format of the program was changed from the 15 minute one that used to broadcast speeches to the current one that is divided into three 5-minute segments each. The program then started focusing on reporting about emerging crime trends.   The signal tune of the program also changed from the Morse code that was used in the past to the current melody by a Lethakeng crime prevention choir, the songs caries a message that talks about how the world has changed and everyone is in a rush to get rich quickly.

The program's first presenter Kesetsenao Jacks Tshweneetsile is now the Deputy Director at the Crime Investigation Department Unit and he holds the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.After Tshweneetsile, Opatile Sehularo who is now late, took over. Then came the man with a deep voice, the current Deputy Public Relations Officer at BPS, Dipheko Mptube who holds the rank of Senior Superintendent. Motube presented the program with the late Motshidisi Boranabe.In an interview with Motube, he said even though the program seems to be overtaken by the new police television program Itshireletse it still has an impact on the people in the rural areas as they listen to the radio.

Motube added that for a long time, before the introduction of the television program, Crime File was viewed as the face of the Botswana Police Services.'The program helped me achieve a lot, both in my professional and private life,' said Motube. He says through the program he gained confidence and he is now able to address multitudes of people in any setting.  Assistant Superintendent Jason Chabota and Inspector Selebatso Mooketsi now co-host the program. The only lady presenter of the program Inspector Mooketsi says the program has always made her to become well-behaved in, as she knows that what ever she does people will attribute it to the program.'Beside being a producer and presenter of the program for a period of eight years, I am also engaged in some of the police' events,' said Mooketsi. She also said the program has given her confidence in public speaking.

To some members of the public, they still find that Crime File is a very important program as it informs them of what is happening in the crime world, and most of the time helps them to avoid falling into the traps of crime.Mmegi went into to the streets of Gaborone to find out how much the public knows about the program. Judith Kenosi said she does not listen to Crime File because she does not have a radio set but watches Itshireletse on Botswana Television. She added that whenever the BTV schedule is changed, she waits for the program to be broadcast, even if it means  sleeping late at night.'I have benefited a lot from Itshireletse as it has helped me learn about crime and how to avoid it,' said Kenosi.She also said the problem is that the program is short, even though it is important and educational.

Boitumelo Sethane said she used to listen to Crime File a few years ago, but since the introduction of Itshireletse she no longer listen to it. However, she said the program is important to the public and the producers must consider increase the time it plays on radio.Enerst Silungwe from Zambia , who has been living in Botswana for four years, said he sometimes watches Itshireletse but the challenge is that it is in Setswana, which is a disadvantage to people who do not know the language but reside in Botswana. He added that the program needs to be improved so that it become close to reality, Silungwe says he does not listen to Crime File and he does not know about it.Baratang Metlhaleng who says she is a loyal listener of the program, also has a fear that the program might be losing the limelight to the new television program Itshireletse. She says the other problem is that the program is broadcast during the day when people are at work.

'The Botswana Police must also consider selling the program to other radio stations as the youth these days do not listen to RB1,'said Metlhaleng.Mmegi also made an inquiry through Facebook to find out how much the youth know about Crime File, as they always post and comment about the television program Itshireletse, which they have dubbed CSI Gaborone. Most of the youth who responded to our inquiry were of the view that both  programs are informative.