18 Feb 2024

Government has established the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to fight drug presence and use within communities, says the Minister of Defence and Security Mr Kagiso Mmusi. Officiating at the launch of the Anti-Drug Campaign in Nata on February 16, Minister Mmusi said the agency was part of efforts to step up the fight against drug influx in the country which has led to severe drug use and abuse.

He, nonetheless emphasised that although the mandate of the DEA was to fight drugs presence in the country, they would not resort to force, but rather engage the community and find solutions together.

“I, therefore, appeal to you parents in particular to help this unit with information that can lead to arrests. Such action can help save Botswana as a whole,” he said.

 Furthermore, Mr Mmusi said through their investigations, they found that the main entry points of most drugs were border posts hence the decision to intensify efforts through the use of scanners and sniffer dogs.

He added that since the unit was still new, they have started the recruitment process, adding that it would be capacitated with officers from the police, Botswana Defence Force and intelligence.

He said from the 2023/2024 budget, his ministry was allocated a budget that would enable recruitment of 1 000 police officers, a process that would be followed in the new financial year.

“After completing their training (police officers), some of them will be deployed to DEA to beef it up,” he said.  He said some of the drugs circulating in the country come through trucks that were in transit from neighbouring countries and urged the residents to consider establishing a truck stop that could help prevent the easy distribution of drugs within the village.

Let us protect our children from drugs by covering every spot that can easily facilitate drug distribution and peddling,” he emphasised. For her part, First Lady Ms Neo Masisi appealed for the protection of children from anything that endangered their lives and wellbeing.

The First Lady explained that through her campaign of Dipalametse, which targeted youth aged 15-24, young people indicated that the use of drugs was one of the things that exposed or led them to engage in sexual activities.

She noted that the outcomes of her interactions with youth as of 2023, led to her efforts to fight drug abuse among these age groups.

She thus challenged parents and Batswana to help the Drug Enforcement Agency win the battle of drugs.  “Be friends with your children so that you can understand them better,” she said. ENDS