Wildlife is therefore such a treasure that it can be argued that any threat to it is a threat to our national security. It is thus perfectly legitimate for all our law enforcement structures to be involved in ramping up the country's anti-poaching campaign, especially if the more pertinent institutions cannot handle the challenge mainly because they are civilian in nature. For that reason, we do not find anything out of order with organs such as the Directorate of Intelligence and Security and the Botswana Defence Force supporting the efforts of the Department of Wildlife's game scouts and the anti-poaching unit of Botswana Police Service.
Indeed, the secondment of agents of the secret service and soldiers is a vital cog in securing our wildlife resources and beating back the influx of poachers, many of whom are often homicidal, because knots are encountered in investigating the complex and sophisticated international criminal networks involved. However, there is another dimension of this matter that must be explored. The Constitution of the Republic provides for basic rights to which every citizen and resident is entitled. Among them is the cornerstone of our jurisprudence that comes in the form of presumption of innocence until guilt is proven.Under this liberal regime that underlines our judicial system, the courts are final arbiters in the settlement of any dispute. What that means is that the state and all law enforcement agencies - principally the police but also the army, the secret service and the Department of Public Prosecutions - must submit to the supremacy of due process for examination of evidence and determination of disputes. It is significant that in terms of our democratic norms and specific statutes that are crafted within the ambit of the Constitution of the Republic, this due process must apply to all and sundry - native Motswana, naturalised citizen and resident alike.
