27 Oct 2024

Under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Batswana and their properties are adequately protected, even though there will always be cases of crime.

This was said by President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi during the Presidential Debate on Thursday.  

Dr Masisi, who is BDP presidential candidate, said his government had managed to ensure such protection through building various police stations and police posts across the country.

“Some are still under plans while others are being refurbished, and most importantly, we continue to train more police officers as we trained 1 000 of them for the past two successive years.

The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) continues to be well trained as well,” he said.

President Masisi said members of the BDF carried themselves well in the peace keeping mission in Mozambique, which he said in a way, indicated readiness to protect their own country.

He said there was no security threat as the BDP had been running the country well, and that Batswana had trust in the security organs and freely slept and communicated on their gadgets.

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) presidential candidate, Advocate Duma Boko however, presented a contrary argument, saying that Batswana did not feel safe at home and on the streets because of violent crimes.

He therefore advocated for more police visibility. “More police visibility will make it difficult for people to commit crime as response will be swift,” he said.

Adv. Boko also accused the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS) for meddling into territories that they were not trained for, and also accused them of flouting even the very Act that established them.

He said that if given power, his party would rebuild the DIS afresh if necessary.

Botswana Congress Party’s Mr Dumelang Saleshando for his part faulted the DIS for what he said was its rogue nature and habit of steering into the mandate of other organisations.

“They do so because they are not regulated and even the judiciary is afraid of making fair judgments because they fear them,” he said.

He cited what he said were fake charges, such as hand-cuffing people and parading them in public with no action taken against them.

He also said that lack of employment was also a security threat as it contributed to crime.

Botswana Patriotic Front’s Mr Mephato Reatile similarly accused the current government of creating fake charges against some individuals, citing what became known as the Butterfly case.

He said that under his party’s rule such actions by security organs would be condemned as they would uphold the rule of law, where torture of those holding divergent views from leaders would also be similarly shunned.

“Under the BPF, Batswana will live freely without any fear of security organs as is the case now,” he said.

Mr Reatile also emphasised the need to take better care of the welfare of security organs to ensure better protection of the nation. Ends