19 Dec 2016

I literally cringed when my editor informed me about this assignment.

Being a victim of a heinous crime that happened three years ago I have never really come to terms with it.

That fateful night four knife wielding thugs broke into my house and started demanding more than I could afford. One of them not convinced that I would meet their demands stabbed me twice, deeply on my back.

As the festive season madness intensifies towards the start of an eventful weekend, I had to dare fate and be part of the joint Botswana Police Service and Botswana Defence Force patrol operation on Friday (December 16), to hunt down and deal with the worst element of society this city has to offer, lawlessness.

I could not resist the temptation of my relentless pursuit for orderliness. Like any other law abiding citizen I yearn for peace and tranquility in the midst of all the aura and hype of the festive season. I joined men and women in uniform and traversed the length and breadth of the city to moot out undesirable elements.

Our first stop was the Gaborone West police station, which arguably deals with the city’s most problematic policing clusters in the mold of Gaborone West phase1, Phase2, Phase IV, Block 5 and 6 amongst others.

There had been serious allegations that places like Phase 2 were grappling with high numbers of substance and drug abuse while G-West has been reported to be littered with unlicensed liquor outlets. We made a quick stop over by the G-West shopping complex and a handful of patrons were arrested for drinking liquor at several ungazetted points.

Some nearly broke our camera after protesting for being snapped in rather uncompromising positions. My photographer was nearly run over by an angry mob but the police lurking nearby were quick to respond. Such are the risks you encounter as a journalist embedded with the police. Insults and physical confrontation are the order of the day, in more extreme cases a life could be lost. In pursuit of your story you have to shoulder on against all odds.

Most recent crime statistics points to Maruapula as the most dangerous hangout spot around town. But just after midnight when we arrived at the infamous Zoom nightclub it was a total contrast from what has been reported. Boitumelo John, a manager with the nightclub attributes the peace that seemingly prevails here to their steeped up crime prevention roles.

There’s no loud music being played in the parking lot, no unlicensed food vendors outside and strictly no smoking. John admitted to a disturbing trend of murder and armed robbery cases that have been reported outside their premises.

Just in the recent past two men were killed in cold blood in a space of a week at the Maruapula shopping complex which houses the night club. One of them, a close friend was senselessly hacked to death and robbed of a cellphone. About an hour later much is not happening here and two police officers directs us to the car and we speed off to Mogoditshane, another high density area.

Heavy police presence is visible along the Gaborone-Molepolole road where most of the liquor outlets are premised.

At the Mogoditshane Police offices a few reports are filtering in of cases of theft, assault and robbery. In the wee hours of Saturday morning traffic offences are now becoming a common occurrence.

Before the beat patrol operation earlier on the day, Divisional Commander for South Central Senior Assistant Commissioner Mr Matthews Letsholo set the tone for the safe festive campaign. In a media debriefing he explained the mandate for engaging journalists as a way of opening up about their operations as law enforcement agencies entitled to protecting life and property.

BPS spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Witness Bosija assured the media that in their next operation helicopters would be availed so that they appreciate aerial operations. ENDS