28 Jul 2022

Botswana Prison Service will soon have an internal police unit in an effort to improve security at its facilities countrywide, Commissioner Dinah Marathe has said.

Ms Marathe said the unit would help in contraband  detection and deterrence on prison facilities, one of the organisation’s biggest challenges.

 She was speaking at the launch of two training programmes at Prisons Staff College.

Explaining that the idea was copied from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, Ms Marathe said the envisaged unit would improve discipline in general at prison facilities.

 On the four-week courses, one on prison police and the other on protocol and etiquette, she said they were part of the Botswana Prison Service transformation journey.

 Facilitated by instructors from Zimbabwe, the courses would enhance the organisation’s outlook, improve the lives of participants and contribute to the development of the country, said Ms Marathe.

“It should therefore not come as a surprise that we have been since last year developing and launching strategies, engaging in benchmarking expeditions, running various training programmes and establishing new units within our service. 

All these are in our quest to transform our service into a hub of excellence in correctional services,” she said.

For his part, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu said the need for an internal policing wing in every organisation, more importantly in uniformed setups, could not be overemphasised.

According to Mr Chihobvu, one of the internal police’s core functions was enforcement of discipline by ensuring adherence to the organisation’s code of conduct. 

Its other function was early detection and prevention of crime among members of staff as well as undertaking investigations, stated the commissioner general.

About the internal prison police course, he said its objectives  included equipping prison officers with knowledge and skills to carry out the unit’s duties.

It  was also meant to equip prison officers with requisite knowledge and understanding of attending to criminal acts that occurred on prison premises.

On the second course, the commissioner general said it assisted officers to understand the general principles of diplomacy, protocol and etiquette.

He said it also sought to help participants understand procedures for visits and events as well as elements that made an event a success.

Meanwhile, Mr Chihobvu has expressed gratitude for the outstanding bilateral relations that continued to exist between Botswana and Zimbabwe.

“By the same token, I wish to acknowledge the cordial relations that also exist between our two services, the Botswana Prison Service and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service,” he said. ENDS