16 Jun 2019

Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi says the ministry would construct 12 more police posts around the country during the current financial year. 

Minister Kgathi, who was officially opening Molapowabojang police post offices and staff houses on June 14, explained that construction of more police facilities was being done to take policing services closer to the people as a means of fighting crime. 

He said the money for construction of police posts would come from the ministry’s P637 million development budget for the current financial year.

“The delivery of this project is another demonstration by government of its commitment towards issues of public safety and security. 

It also affirms government’s agenda of bringing services closer to the people,” he said.

Mr Kgathi further said the ministry would use its increased budget to boost the Botswana Police Service (BPS) activities in fighting crime and maintaining the rule of law by employing 300 new police officers.

He said the tackling of stock theft and crime remained a priority for government. 

He also assured the public that BPS was committed to upholding the highest standards of discipline among its officers. 

“We want to be a police service of repute, therefore we will not compromise discipline. 

We are therefore strictly monitor police officers to ensure that discipline is of the highest order,” said the minister.

He also urged the public to participate in policing activities by reporting criminal activities taking place in their communities. 

For his part, the police commissioner Mr Keabetswe Makgophe said Molapowabojang police post was the 25^th to be built from around 400 police posts around the country. 

The police post was constructed to the tune of approximately P800 000 and has two offices for police post commander and the assistant, plus community service office and a consultation room. 

Senior chief representative for Molapowabojang, Mr Kedirilwe Letshabo said they were concerned about increasing crime, stocktheft and sale of home-made brews in the village. 

As such, he said police should be provided with horses to combat stocktheft. 

He said shortage of police officers in Molapowabojang had led to delay in attending and handling of crime cases in the village. 

Such shortage, he said, had affected police patrols in the village. 

Nonetheless, Mr Letshabo thanked government for building police posts in the village, which had a population of close to 10 000 people according to the 2011 population census.  Ends