19 Mar 2015

There are no plans to replace Botswana Police Service female officers at Khwee with their male counterparts, says the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi.

He said members of the Botswana Police Service, be it male or females received similar training in terms of their skills and knowledge required in carrying out their policing functions. Minister Kgathi said, “Therefore the female officers’ at Khwee were expected to enforce the law in the same way as their male counterparts elsewhere.”

Answering a question in Parliament on March 18, Mr Kgathi further stated that section 44 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act Cap 08:02 provides for assistance by private persons aged between 16-60 years when called upon by a police officer to make an arrest upon any person charged with or suspected of the commission of any offence or to assist such police offer in retaining the custody of any person so arrested.

Furthermore, Mr Kgathi said it would be an offence for any private person called upon by a police officer to assist him and without sufficient excuse refuses or fails to do so.

The Member of Parliament for Boteti West, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe had asked the minister if he would consider transferring female officers of the Botswana Police Services from Khwee settlement and replace them with male officers due to the challenges they faced especially where Khwee residents took them for granted and in most cases resisted being arrested by female officers. ENDS