01 Feb 2022

Government is concerned by the danger posed by misusing prohibited and prescribed drugs and therefore continues to engage all concerned stakeholders to raise awareness.

Responding to the debate on the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Amendment bill, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi said his ministry through the Department of Chemical, Biological, Nuclear and Radiological Weapons Management (CBNRM) was working closely with various government departments to identify and detect banned chemicals.

Minister Mmusi said government, through various platforms on counter terrorism was adding its voice relating to its concern on the negative impact of chemical weapons.

He said the proposed amendment to the Chemical Weapons Prohibition Act intended to prohibit acts of terrorism and align it to the Counter Terrorism Act.

Commenting on the bill, Member of Parliament for Nkange, Dr Never Tshabang said the manufacture of chemical weapons was often the work of disgruntled professionals with the aid of terrorists.

He said professionals in the third world, especially scientists, were less paid and most idled in laboratories. Therefore, Dr Tshabang said, they were fertile ground for recruitment by groups with motives to cause harm.

He said the government must be concerned about the welfare of such professionals, by making sure that they were fully engaged at work and well paid.

Even though viewed as a conspiracy theory, that some viruses resulting in pandemics were intentionally produced, Dr Tshabang said those suspicion may be correct.

He said developing relevant laws and paying attention to the welfare of professionals would go a long way in fighting chemical weapons. Dr Tshabang said professionals must be equipped to conduct research, instead of idling at work.

Dr Tshabang said even though developing countries were bound to comply owing to their economic circumstances, it was necessary for them to make their voice heard on the subject through relevant forums.

Contributing to the debate, Mahalapye West legislator, Mr David Tshere said the gist of the discussion was to reduce the negative impact of chemical weapons on health.

Mr Tshere said abuse of prescribed drugs had become a pandemic and criminals shifted their focus to prescribed drugs as they were easily accessible and could be used with the same result as illegal drugs such as cocaine.

He added that classified chemicals were also used to produce some illicit drugs, while some approved drugs were used to make concoctions that were harmful to health.

Mr Tshere said illicit drugs made from prescribed chemicals were a serious concern as they were responsible for increasing cases of mental health issues.

In the end Mr Tshere said the law must assist law enforcement officers dealing with chemical weapons and narcotics as well as Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority to deal with the challenge of misuse and mishandling of prescribed drugs. ENDS