05 Sep 2017

By promoting safety and security in the country, the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security (MDJS) creates an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, which allows for job creation and poverty eradication.

The Minister of Defence Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi revealed this in an interview with BOPA.

Mr Kgathi said that apart from the practical steps they take to empower their employees and give direct business to domestic companies, they create an overall climate for businesses to thrive.

“There is an intrinsic value of peace which many seem to take for granted.

For example we have reduced the crime rate in the country, and we work round the clock to ensure safety and security.

This creates a climate where businesses can thrive and other sectors of the economy can take Batswana out of poverty,” Mr Kgathi said.

He also said that his ministry has come up with a reservation policy for only citizen owned private security companies to operate locally.

These companies, which do business with state organs, the private sector and individuals, generate millions annually as a consequence.

“This is part of our contribution to citizen economic empowerment. There is also the Private Securities Services Act, through which we are working on making the security services in the country into professional entities.

We have already established a board that will work under the ministry to assist private security companies train their staff to work under higher standards of professionalism,” Mr Kgathi said.

He also said that by establishing Legal Aid Botswana, his ministry had managed to assist the poorest people in the country gain access to the justice system through having legal representation.

Mr Kgathi also said that his ministry has created 2 270 jobs through the outsourcing of landscaping and garden maintenance as well as cleaning and catering services.

He further revealed that since the Private Security Services Act was enacted by parliament in October 2016, some 4793 citizen owned private security firms have been registered and 2935 are active, competing for jobs across Botswana.

Also, the ministry had awarded tenders to the tune of over P21 million to local manufactures and suppliers, as part of Citizen Economic Empowerment and Economic Diversification Drive.

The MDJS has also contributed a total of 55 houses to the Presidial Housing Appeal, constructed throughout the country, with the Botswana Police Services contributing 46, Prisons four, the Botswana Defence Force three, Administration of Justice and Ministry headquarters contributing one each.

In their effort to upskill Batswana, the Prisoners Training and Rehabilitation programme, enrolled 846 inmates in literacy classes, 179 in Junior Certificate  and 165 in the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education.

These initiatives are part of the MDJS contributin to the government’s priority areas which includes making job creation a number one priority, taking Batswana out of poverty, increasing education funding, the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and fighting corruption in all its manifestations. Ends