Africa-Press – Botswana. The joint festive season initiative, Operation Pabalesego, aimed at ensuring public safety and security over the holidays, has been hailed as a success following a notable decrease in crime incidents.
Minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa, said during a press conference in Gaborone yesterday. He attributed the decline to heightened law enforcement visibility and strong community support throughout the operation
“To demonstrate our commitment, I, along with the Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, the Commissioner of Police, and senior officials, visited various regions during the operation,” he said.
Among the locations visited he said were, Makalamabedi, Ngwasha Veterinary Gates, and Ramokgwebana. Minister Mohwasa highlighted that the operation achieved a 9.8 per cent reduction in criminal offenses, with 663 cases recorded in 2024 compared to 735 in the previous year.
He commended officers for their unwavering dedication to duty despite facing resource constraints.
On road safety, Minister Mohwasa expressed concern over continued road fatalities despite persistent safety education efforts. He noted a four per cent reduction in general road traffic accidents, with cases dropping from 686 in 2023 to 658 in 2024.
“Fatal accidents also saw a decline, with 28 incidents claiming 29 lives in 2024 compared to 33 accidents and 45 lives lost in 2023,” he said
Addressing gender-based violence (GBV), Minister Mohwasa acknowledged it as a growing concern that should not be tolerated. He reported that of the 298 offenses against people recorded during the operation, 181 cases (61 per cent) were GBV-related.
He said the perpetrators were predominantly men, often close relatives, intimate partners, jilted lovers, or friends of the victims.
He called on every citizen to help develop interventions to combat violence and foster a safer society.
Minister Mohwasa announced that the Commissioner of Police, Ms Dinah Marathe, will address the nation on January 14, to provide further details on the nature and statistics of GBV-related cases during the operation.
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