Botswana: The Director of Operations, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, Katlholo Mosimanegape, has implored all citizens of Botswana to embrace community policing, as crime does not discriminate.
Addressing crime prevention Neighborhood Watch committees in Letlhakane recently, Mosimanegape noted that Community Policing initiatives such as Neighborhood Watch schemes, Farmer’s Anti-Stock Theft committees, Business Watch Fora, Cluster Policing and Youth Outreach programs are crucial in the fight against crime.
Given its complexities, he stressed that the country needs to adopt a multi-sectoral approach to fighting crime in order to attain a safe and secure environment.
The Director warned that as the festive season approaches, the police and all stakeholders need to strengthen their collaboration since this is the period when criminal activities heighten. Nevertheless, he thanked Dikgosi for spearheading the Community Policing strategy, as demonstrated by the large number of them heading Cluster Policing committees as executive chairpersons.
When welcoming participants at the seminar, Kgosi Phillip Kopano, who is also an executive member of the Mosu Crime Prevention Committee, expressed concern that drug abuse, especially the use of dagga and Methcathione (cat), is rampant in the Boteti region.
He said these drugs are normally sold at shebeens and schools. Kgosi Kopano also cautioned against the use of illegal and harmful chemicals to poison predators at cattle posts. He cited an incident where an innocent farmer nearly lost his life after he came into contact with a dead animal that had been poisoned.
The event was attended by dikgosi from the whole of the Boteti region, as well as crime prevention activists from the same region.