Africa-Press – Botswana. If not harnessed and eradicated, trafficking in illicit drugs and psychotropic substances may frustrate Botswana’s intention of good governance, peace and security.
The warning was sounded by Minister of Defence and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi during the first Drugs Enforcement Agency (DEA) stakeholders consultative meeting in Gaborone yesterday.
Describing the fight against drugs as a complex exercise cutting across all sectors, he stated that collaboration was critical for success to be achieved.
Minister Mmusi explained that illicit production, demand and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances was a universal challenge that threatened the socio-economic and political gains of the world.
“This challenge poses a serious danger to public security, peace and stability. Drugs ruin the future of our young generations whom we expect to perpetuate our legacy. They rob governments of revenue as the able bodied are confined to drug dependency at the expense of productivity and in the process, increase health bills,” he said.
The minister said due to the increasing drug trafficking trend, Botswana had become party to regional and international agreements such as the African Union Plan of Action on Drugs Control and Crime Prevention and the SADC Protocol on Combating Illicit Drugs.
“It is in line with these instruments that Botswana enacted the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in 2018. The act also established the Drugs Enforcement Agency under my ministry,” he said.
Mr Mmusi said before DEA’s establishment, some of its functions were and continued to be performed by the Botswana Police Service through the Narcotics Fauna and Flora Investigations Unit.
He stressed the importance of assisting the newly established agency to tackle the issue of drugs through public education, law enforcement and prosecution.
In her welcome remarks, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Ms Botlhale Makgekgenene hailed the formation of DEA as history in the making.
“It is therefore vital to interface the trajectory of DEA from the onset given the challenges posed by illicit drugs. The challenge of the illicit drugs industry at all its levels, whether at production, trading and usage is a global concern,” she said.
Ms Makgekgenene said of greatest concern was the fact that drug abuse affected all genders and ages. That, she said, necessitated assembling both resources and expertise to effectively deal with the scourge.
Quoting statistics, Ms Makgekgenene said cannabis was the most prevalent in the country with police apprehending 10 000 suspects between 2018 and 2022, most of them youth.
She said the state of affairs pointed to the need for urgent action.
“We need to understand that drugs are our enemy and that only through unity can we win the war against them,” she said.
The meeting was intended to create linkages between DEA and stakeholders.
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