07 Oct 2013

Shelter is a fundamental right that every citizen should have for purposes of privacy and a place to call home, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Keabetswe Makgophe has said.

Speaking during the handing over of a house built for 86-year-old Ms Atakamang Keabetswe of Komana village near Maun, the commissioner praised members of Maun police, residents of Komana and the local business community for undertaking such a big project amidst financial constraints.

Apparently driven by the idea of affording the needy old woman a dignified life, the Totoba Cluster (cluster policing), together with the Maun police came up with strategies that enabled them to raise the necessary capital to build a two-bedroomed house for Ms Keabetswe.

“This is a clear testimony of how you are living the country’s Vision 2016, and indeed your compassionate efforts will no doubt go a long way in the fulfillment of the national vision’s pillar of a ‘compassionate, just and caring nation’, he said .

He said upon the police’s interaction with the community of Komana through their work, their focus was not only confined to their primary role of policing but they embraced other aspects such as that of social responsibility.

“This is proof that you are not here to provide safety and security to the community only but to develop the community within which you live as well,” he said. The commissioner further said government alone could not afford to provide for all the needy; hence it becomes morally and humanly compelling for capable individuals and the corporate world to complement government efforts.

In response to the national call, he said Botswana Police Service had seen the need to contribute to community projects that seek to restore human dignity and hope through improved lifestyles.

He said various police establishments continued to demonstrate compassion by providing shelter, food and clothing to the needy in their various localities.

The commissioner also noted that the Community Policing concept, commonly known as cluster policing, continued to work well and thus he applauded the Totoba Cluster for showing commitment towards the success of the initiative.

He said through cluster policing, there was hope that if the police and the community strove together to fight crime, they will indeed defeat the monster.

Further, he observed that crime in the district had declined, although there were some offences which still remained an eye sore such as robbery, house break-ins, burglary and rape.

For her part, the beneficiary, Ms Keabetswe, could not hold back her tears as she thanked the police for their noble gesture.

“My life was at risk because of the state of the house I was living; indeed my dignity has been restored thanks to the community in partnership with the police,” she expressed her gratitude.

Kgosi Omphile Bogoma of Komana encouraged all to emulate the Totoba cluster by demonstrating love and care to the less privileged.

Kgosi Bogoma also complained about the shortage of transport in the village, noting that the police covered a vast area which includes the surrounding settlements.

He said often the community accused police officers for failing to attend to reports and incidents on time, thus he requested the commissioner to look into the matter with a view of addressing it. Ends