12 Apr 2020

Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi has appealed to the public to cooperate with members of security forces who are on duty during the State of Emergency period.

Addressing a press conference on April 12, Mr Mmusi said government’s aim and of every Motswana was to minimise the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore, he said people should desist from roaming around the streets in search of permits.

Rather, he said they should stay home and obey regulations in place so that the spread of the disease could be minimised.

He explained that it was unfortunate that some members of the public were allegedly assaulted by the police, noting that their mandate as the ministry, was to work well with the public.

Mr Mmusi explained that since the beginning of extreme social distancing and State of Emergency, they were faced with many cases of gender-based violence (GBV), selling of alcohol and tobacco by some members of the public and stocktheft amongst others.

He said all these challenges put people at risk of contracting COVID-19, something which he urged the public to desist from and he  reminded the public that failure to observe the law attracts a penalty of P100 000 or sentenced to not more than five years in prison or both.  Ends