25 Jan 2018

It is not common practice for Botswana Police Service to respond to every article about police operations, but we are duty-bound to do so because of the assertions made by the Sunday Standard Facebook post of 21 January 2018, which may mislead the general public.

We found it imperative to set the record straight because of the speculations and inferences by some commentators in the social media. The Facebook post by a Sunday Standard anonymous reporter, maliciously stated that as motorists adapt to the changed policing regime, it is becoming harder and harder for the Botswana Police Service to make money through its long running stop and fine operation.

It further states that in terms of this controversial operation, each police station in the country is supposed to raise P10 000 a day from fines. With 80 police stations across the country, the Facebook post suggest that the Service would net a neat P80 000 and P2.4 million a month.

We would like to state categorically and unequivocally that the Facebook post is devoid of the truth and therefore should be dismissed as baseless as the author was just advancing his/her false and malicious information. The Botswana Police Service, as professional law enforcement agency of repute, operates within the confines of the law as stipulated in the Constitution of the country.

Neither the Commissioner of Police Mr Keabetswe Makgophe nor any of the police leadership has ever instructed members of the Botswana Police Service at any given police station to have set targets to raise certain amount of money through traffic fines in a given day.

As a matter of fact, the Botswana Police Service is not concerned about the traffic fines as opined by malicious but rather with the ultimate goal of road safety.

The Botswana Police Service is mandated to enforce the Road Traffic Act which clearly stipulates the measures to be taken in the event of any transgression of the Act. It is therefore naïve to suggest that in carrying out their duties in conformity with the law, charging motorists who violate the Road Traffic Act, the police are raising funds.

It has to be noted that even those who have contravened the Act and charged by the police, it is their entitlement to either accept admission of guilt or exercise their constitutional right to defend themselves against the charges in the courts of law.

Over the years, the BPS has consistently employed focused interventions directed towards addressing risk factors such as driving a motor vehicle whilst alcohol content in breath or blood exceeds the prescribed permissible limit, speeding, cell phone usage and general disregard of road traffic regulations. In this regard, road policing in Botswana is characterized by continuous sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, sporadic roadblocks, deployment of speed trap machines on all roads to mention but a few.

We find it most unfortunate that the author of the Facebook post have sought to use anonymous sources purported to be police officers rather that verifying facts with the relevant police authorities, through well-known established lines of communication.

In conclusion, the Botswana Police Service would like to thank motorists who continue to abide by the law and also to assure the public that it will continue to enforce the law in partnership with the community without fear or favour. Ends