No doubt, criminals had lately found a niche in invading homesteads and dispossessing innocent people of their hard earned cash, mobile phones, electronics generally and other valuables just at an instant.
Therefore, we hail the police for embracing the decision of their political head to enhance their fight against crime. We are also aware that amongst others, it is the primary function of the BPS to protect lives and property. It all started with the Defence and Security Minister, Kagiso Mmusi’s announcement recently at the BPS 49th Senior Officers’ Conference at the SSG Hall that the paramilitary wing of the BPS, the Special Support Group (SSG), will be intentionally deployed to curtail the spiralling incidents of home invasions which have become a quick way of making money by the spoiled criminals at the detriment of the people. Homes have been invaded with people robbed of their valuables such as electronic gadgets and in some instances people’s bank accounts were simply cleaned of funds. There are reported incidents in which literally these greedy and heartless criminals left residents heart-broken after emptying house objects like furniture and others. The SSG has the wherewithal to clean the streets of these undesirable criminals who have been haunting Gaborone residents and the city’s environs. The (SSG) has areas of special training including on weapons handling to match some of the criminals as they are often armed to the teeth. Criminals have wreaked havoc so much that city residents have been living in incessant fear of losing their valuables and lives. Although Mmusi has set the police in motion with this new approach to combating seemingly unending acts of criminality, the BPS has to be reminded that it took too long to come up with a workable solution. Reporting on crime statistics alone can never bring an effective and long lasting solution to the festering problem of crime. We remember vividly that it was at the 48th Senior Officers’ Conference that Mmusi issued an instruction empowering the police and its stakeholders to shoot and kill Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) blasting criminals and cash-in-transit robbers which the police executed with aplomb. Just recently, Mmusi told the National Assembly that the BPS and its stakeholders were able to contain ATM blasting incidents and cash-in-transit robberies and this has saved millions of pula from being stolen by the criminals. Fighting home invasions will bring peace and tranquility that were slowly becoming scarce in Gaborone and its environs. Also, if crime of violence in particular is not contained, it may scare possible investors.
