16 Jun 2021

Failure to address emerging high tech crimes comes with a huge risk of economic loss to the SADC region, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Mr Kagiso Mmusi has warned.

Officiating at a virtual SADC chiefs of police sub-committee of the Inter-state, Defense and Security Community (ISDSC) yesterday, he said police response tactics and strategies should be ahead of perpetrators of such crimes.

Minister Mmusi said there was need to employ new strategies and configure training needs that recognised challenges in the fight against all forms of transnational crimes. 

 Urging police chiefs to embrace information sharing and well-coordinated inter-agency operations, he pointed out that success of policing required new perspectives and measurements in areas of research, intelligence, crime mapping and analysis.

 “I urge the police chiefs to introspect on the challenges which seek to diminish the achievements and strides made in combating regional crime, fully conscious that the policing landscape keeps changing,” he said.

   Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation chairperson and Botswana Police Service commissioner, Mr Keabetswe Makgophe said the organisation had enhanced police and other law enforcement agencies’ performance in transactional crime management.

In addition, it had managed to provide efficient and effective support to police and law enforcement agencies as well as enhancing cooperation and collaboration among member states, he said.

Mr Makgophe mentioned among other achievements during his tenure, which ends August, formulation of systematic regional police training policies and strategies.   

He however said due to COVID-19, his engagements with fellow police chiefs had been limited.

SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Affairs director, Mr Jorge Cardoso said police chiefs’ contribution to the region’s public security and social cohesion was of paramount importance.

He said policing contributed towards SADC’s goal of fostering regional integration, development, peace, security and stability.ENDS