Speaking at the launch of the Fight Crime in Botswana (FCIB) Trust, Phenyo Motlhagodi the spokesperson of the NGO said the organisation was formed because the problem at hand has overwhelmed law enforcement agencies."Botswana has been praised for being a peaceful country and we cannot rely on law enforcement agencies alone to maintain peace," he said. He asserted that the community must actively take part in the fight against crime. He encouraged Batswana to take responsibility in making the country safe.
FCIB began as a pressure group on Facebook and was registered as an NGO in July 2012 although it has existed for the past five years. Motlhagodi said they set up a committee and decided to register the trust because not all of its members are active and they wanted to reach out to people who were not familiar with the group. "The committee feels that it is the responsibility of every adult individual to ensure the safety of his or her family, as well as communities and that a joint effort between residents and law enforcement agencies is required," he said. He urged the public to look out for Facebook groups such as Fight Crime in Phikwe, Francistown, Maun and others.He said FCIB plans to move out of Gaborone and expand to other parts of the country. He said the NGO will launch its website, which will have useful tips such as establishing crime fighting groups, how to seek assistance from police, maps and addresses of police stations in Botswana and weekly crime statistics. He said they want to involve social organisations such as churches in the fight against crime.
