Botswana: The Minister of Defence and Security, Thomas Kagiso Mmusi, has said the knowledge acquired by the Non-Uniformed Staff during the two-day Conference organised by Botswana Prison Service is invaluable and shall forever be cherished.
Officially closing the Conference in Palapye yesterday, Minister Mmusi said it was an opportunity for the participants to learn and acquire as much knowledge for their benefit as individuals, their organisations and the nation at large.
He expressed confidence that the conference objectives have been achieved and will bring about positive energy in the whole system for enhanced service delivery and morale.
The Minister said through the strategically packaged and informative presentations by the different field experts, there is no doubt whatsoever that the Botswana Prison Service will achieve its mandate.
He stated that the presentations delivered during the two days were aligned to His Excellency the President’s Reset Agenda, particularly the recently launched priority number 5 on Mindset Change, A re Chencheng!
He highlighted that Mindset Change is critical in showing direction and shaping the future of Botswana as the country aspires to move from upper-middle income to a high-income economy by the year 2036.
“This is a historic gathering, supported by our strong cultural background of constructive dialogue, the spirit of Botho, Neelano and teamwork to take our country to greater heights,” he said.
He thanked Commissioner Marathe and her team for coming up with such a great initiative, whose impact will go a long in defining the path that the Prison Service has chosen to follow.
Meanwhile, the Minister expressed worry that incidents of gender-based violence continue to rise in the country. He pleaded with the conference participants to stand up against such acts so that Botswana retains its status of being a united, peace-loving and respectable nation.
“I urge you to seek professional help if you feel distressed. We have a number of professionals in the country offering free services on mental therapy; please seek help and let us collectively save our nation from such disheartening situations,” he cautioned.
On giving her welcome remarks, Commissioner of Prisons – Commissioner Dinah Marathe said the Prison Service found it significant to host the Conference to appreciate the importance of the non-uniformed staff in achieving its mandate.
She acknowledged that working in a disciplined organization as a non-uniformed staff has its own challenges due to its peculiar setup, as some of the practices are foreign to them.
“Let me be quick to emphasize that our common denominator as public servants should bring us together for the benefit of the Prison Service and Government, with emphasis on priorities outlined in the Presidential Reset and Reclaim Agenda. This requires both parties to be open-minded and willing to learn from each other,” she said.
The Commissioner highlighted that the Botswana Prison Service is made up of two categories of Officers, the uniformed and non-uniformed staff who play two distinctive roles yet share a necessary symbiotic relationship.
“It is therefore important that we continuously create a platform where we can engage with both sets of officers so that we come up with tangible solutions which can drive the mandate of the Service, hence a call for this Conference,” she said.
Commissioner Marathe expressed her gratitude to Minister Mmusi for his support, which is indicative of the significance he attaches to the importance of the Conference.
She further assured him that as Prison Management, they will move quickly to ensure implementation of the recommendations and resolutions of the Conference, particularly on the conditions of service of the non-uniformed staff.
The Conference was attended by officers providing various services ranging from cleaning, guarding, driving, catering, and other professionalised cadres such as psychologists, health professionals, supplies and secretaries who are critical in providing safe custodial care, rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders”.