Gaborone City Council (GCC) and Botswana Prisons Services are set to revive their working relationship. During a meet and greet session at City Hall, GCC Town Clerk Lopang Pule stressed the importance of the two organizations to restore the Memorandum of Understanding that existed between them.
Pule highlighted that the organizations can collaborate in many areas, such as waste management, stormwater drainage management and the other regions that are critical to residents of Gaborone.
He further emphasized that the City Council conducts a rigorous campaign to clean the city. Mr Pule raised concerns on issues such as illegal dumps that were perpetrated under the cover of the night. He noted that collaborating with organizations such as Prisons Services can help fight such unlawful activities.
Botswana Prisons Services Divisional Commander South Senior Assistant Commission Shakani Thani applauded the suggestions that the two organizations formalize their working relationship.
Senior Assistant Commissioner Thani said the two organizations collaborated mostly in areas such as cleanliness of the town and safety.
On other issues, Senior Assistant Thani raised concerns that illegal substances have found their way into prisons. He said illicit substances such as dagga, ‘cat’, and cell phones are among other items that have been a regular occurrence in prisons.
He asserted that overgrown bushes around some prisons act as hiding spots for those smuggling illegal substances into prisons.
Senior Assistant Commissioner Thani urged the City Council to consider de-bushing around prisons to create visibility for prison warders. He highlighted that they are considering installing tower lights around their facility, and once the decision has been finalized, they will need expertise from the City Council.
They raised concerns that, as town leadership, Prisons need to have working relations with as most of what is happening, still dealing with those who are still dealing with one another. We are dealing with sophisticated criminal syndicates such as cell phone smuggling and other illegal items that find their way inside prisons.
Deputy Town Clerk Technical Service Molapisi Morapedi, Finance Chief Mr Nathaniel Maphoto and Economist Ontatheletse Molapisi accompanied Pule. Senior Assistant Commissioner Thani was with his deputy Assistant Commissioner Modiri Nakedi.