12 Nov 2026

First Lady Kaone Boko is expected to lead as the chief runner in the third edition of the Police Commissioner’s Run scheduled for Maun tomorrow. 

Organised by the Botswana Police Service under the theme: Run for a Safer Botswana-Together Against Crime, the event aims to raise public awareness about the impact of crime. 

It focuses on taking action against gender-based violence (GBV) and road accidents while promoting road safety, crime prevention and awareness surrounding drug and substance abuse.

The event also aims to educate participants on community-based crime reduction strategies and inspire youth involvement in crime prevention efforts.

The proposed race categories include a 21km half marathon, a 10km run and a 5km run/walk. Target participants include students, out-of-school youth, families, community leaders, business owners, transport operators, farmers, civil servants, Non-Governmental Organisations, sporting and fitness clubs, faith-based organisations, crime prevention committees, visitors and tourists.

Botswana Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Near Bagali, confirmed the event, noting that hosting the run in Maun was overdue given the village’s strategic location in the North West District and its status as a tourism hub.

Bagali said the run should serve as the climax of the national crime-prevention campaign. 

Previous editions hosted in Gaborone and Francistown demonstrated the activity’s potential to bring together the police and key stakeholders to combat crime.

“Given Maun’s importance as a tourism gateway, crime-prevention messaging should also promote the safety of tourists, tourism businesses, and communities supporting the tourism sector,” he added, highlighting that the police service recognised sustainable crime prevention cannot be achieved through law enforcement alone.

Effective policing, he stated, required an informed, engaged and cooperative community that understood prevailing crime threats and actively participated in preventing and reporting crime.

The Commissioner’s Run was introduced as a community-based initiative using sport to reach target audiences. 

Key offenses targeted by the campaign include stock theft, housebreaking, robbery, cybercrime, online fraud, human trafficking, threats to tourism safety as well as protection of vulnerable persons. ENDS