15 Jun 2026

The Botswana Defence Force (BDF), Botswana Police Service (BPS) and Botswana Prisons Service (BPS) traded their operational gear for sport jerseys on Friday, joining forces for the annual Joint Law Enforcement Games in Francistown.

The joint games were designed to strengthen collaboration, build unity and foster closer working relationships among the officers who protect the nation side by side.

On the scoreboard, the BDF emerged as the overall champions of the Law Enforcement Games, with the police securing second place and the prisons finishing third.

In the men’s volleyball division, BDF claimed top honours after decisive 3-0 victories over both police and prisons.

The women’s volleyball title went to prisons, who edged out BDF 3-2 in a thrilling matchup following BDF’s earlier 3-0 sweep against police.

BDF also dominated the netball court, defeating prisons 60-6 and overcoming police 46-27, while police defeated prisons 42-22 in the remaining fixture.

Football saw BDF maintain a perfect record to take first place, securing a 2-0 win over prisons and a tight 1-0 victory against police, with the police taking the runner-up spot after defeating prisons 2-1. Finally, police completely swept the tug of war contests, beating BDF 2-1 in the men’s category and taking a clean 2-0 victory in the women’s division.

Meanwhile, officiating the event, Francistown district commissioner, Chabongwa Matseka emphasised that the games symbolised a deeper connection beyond athletic competition.

“Though you wear different uniforms, your mission is one. These games are not just for fun. They build the spirit of collaboration needed to defeat crime and protect every Motswana,” Matseka said.

She noted that complex national challenges, including Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and illicit drugs, required joint strategies and shared solutions across all three institutions.

She urged the entities to maintain seamless coordination when executing their mandates and reminded officers to stand firm by their oaths when facing adversity, reminding them that crime remained the common enemy.

“As you play, you network and grow closer. That closeness is exactly what we need when we return to the frontline to fight crime together,” she added.

On the event’s theme, United In Purpose: Together against crime, Divisional Commander North, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP), Theriso Thatayothe, called the gathering far from ordinary.

“We are here to nurture our partnership, reflect on our shared responsibilities and unite in purpose,” Thatayothe said.

He pointed to existing joint field operations as proof of top-level solidarity, noting that strong partnership among commanders trickled down as a catalyst for unity across all ranks.

“Because the services are creatures of statute with distinct yet overlapping mandates, a united approach is essential for effective crime reduction,” he explained.

However, he did not shy away from internal challenges facing the law enforcement agencies.

“While we are seen as custodians of the law, the contrary has sometimes been true. We have been both perpetrators and victims of crime, which tarnishes our integrity and undermines our oath,” he said.

Quoting legendary author Chinua Achebe, ‘when the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk’, he noted that the gathering was born not out of despair, but out of a shared drive to ensure that communities no longer lived in perpetual fear of crime and to restore public confidence.

The games, he added, ultimately aimed to foster better-coordinated operations and optimal resource sharing.ends