22 May 2019

Senior security manager of Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa mines, Mr Augustine Nyathanga has urged all stakeholders to collaborate in the fight against crime.

Mr Nyathanga made the plea at the No. 8 District cluster awards ceremony held at Letlhakane recently.

The awards were under the theme: Broadening community policing for a safe and secure nation.

He said studies have shown that the police could not manage crime without the input of the community.

He added that sometimes police officers fought an uphill battle trying to get communities to work with them to fight crime.

He also said the introduction of community policing clusters in the country has rejuvenated partnership efforts, and that the programme was an effort to get traditional authorities to mobilise citizens within their jurisdiction.

He said the increase in crime has placed the issue of community policing on the national agenda, noting that the mandate of community policing committees was to narrow the gap between the police and the public, particularly on information sharing.

Mr Nyathanga also said citizens had the primary role to individually and collectively stay crime free and fight all criminal threats because crime victimised all directly or indirectly.

He said members of the community have come up with initiatives to demonstrate best practices that could be suggested for police implementation.

He said crime undermined investor confidence and impacted negatively on economic development, adding that the decision to invest in a country was informed by the level of crime.

He also said community policing was a long-term commitment and not a quick fix, adding that its success depended on joint efforts of the police and all stakeholders.

Mr Nyathanga said accidents, gender based violence and abuse of drugs were a national concern.

He said stakeholders such as churches, youth groups, gender groups, farmers groups, the business community and VDCs must collaborate with the police in the fight against any emerging life challenges.

He noted that police performed their duties everyday to keep communities safe, adding that communities should also do everything in their power to support them.

For her part, Officer Commanding District No. 8, Ms Sarah Gabathusi said issues of gender based violence, stock theft, road accidents and drug abuse were the highest crimes in her policing area.

Superintendent Gabathusi said her policing area was broad, with bad roads, lack of transport and shortage of staff as well as shortage of accommodation.

She also noted that the Boteti area was surrounded by mines hence attracting many people who came in search of jobs and others taking advantage to commit crime in the area.

Superintendent Gabathusi also said community policing was important, as it combated some of the crime through the intervention of the community.

The were 21 clusters in the competitions and the awards were per category.

The best practice award went to a cluster that had excelled in set targets through innovative strategies.

Tshwaragano cluster from Rakops scoped position one while the Makalamabedi cluster, also under the Rakops Police Station, took position two.

The community commitment award went to a cluster that excelled in the mobilisation of the community through a number of strategies to address crime, including social issues. ENDS