27 Nov 2024

Government is committed to improve the welfare and conditions of service of Botswana Police Service (BPS) employees for them to serve the nation well.

Addressing the BPS leadership during a consultative meeting in Gaborone on Tuesday, Minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa said the engagement marked the beginning of his many interactions with the BPS leadership and staff.

“We have to interact more, at least once a week, to appreciate and understand the challenges and conditions of service that you operate under which compromise your service delivery,” he said.

Mr Mohwasa said Botswana Police Service played a critical role in upholding the country’s peace and security.

For that reason, he said it was important that the police officers operated under a conducive environment for their work. He also encouraged the police officers to remain apolitical at all times.

Giving a brief overview, Commissioner of Police, Ms Dinah Marathe outlined challenges that compromised service delivery and staff morale.

These challenges, Ms Marathe said, included shortage of staff accommodation and transport, limited budget and slow progression.

“We, however, appreciate government’s commitment and support in addressing some of these issues, amid economic challenges,” she said.

Ms Marathe said while crime had generally proved unmanageable over the years, the organisation continued to prioritise tackling intrusive crimes such as break-ins, robbery, rape, murder, threat to kill and threat to community safety.

She added that the BPS had also prioritised Gender- Based Violence (GBV) and drug abuse, which presented themselves as social ills of national concern.

Despite the challenges, she said, the BPS had realised positive results and impact in community policing, through initiatives such as neighbourhood watch, cluster policing, public education and visible patrols, especially at the night.

In terms of law enforcement operations, technology and research, the commissioner encouraged the minister to make time and visit BPS to appreciate its capabilities’, Ms Marathe expressed delight that BPS’s crime detection and investigation efforts were supported by forensics and use of other modern technologies which had helped to strengthen and improve its services.

 “We assure you of our unwavering commitment to continue serving Batswana selflessly to meet their security expectation. You’ve shared your concerns of violence and intrusive violence on people. But, given the current economic challenges facing the country, we promise to work with what we already have to strengthen our responses,” she said.

He said the BPS would also embark on a comprehensive programme aimed at sensitising and empowering officers on good customer relations, respect for human rights and restoration of human dignity.

To address police officers’ welfare issues, she said BPS had established welfare schemes, among them low interest rate loans with banking facilities to help officers save more to complement their gratuity.

Ms Marathe assured Minister Mohwasa that the BPS leadership would, at a later stage, share a draft on pending pay and condition of service issues that would be used to improve conditions of service.

BPS deputy commissioner for Crime Investigation, Mr Busang Lesola, thanked the minister for having found it necessary to meet with BPS leadership to appreciate their challenges and conditions of service.

By having made time to meet with BPS leadership, Mr Lesola said, this showed the seriousness that Minister Mohwasa placed on improving the welfare of police officers.  

“It is our collective commitment and resolve, as an organisation, to impart quality service through continuous improvement and progress to uphold the peace and security in this republic,” he said. ENDS