Member of Parliament for Francistown South Wynter Mmolotsi has accused Botswana Police Services of guarding lodges owned by top government officials at the Chobe enclave.
Mmolotsi asked the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Shaw Kgathi to state why lodges at the Chobe enclave are guarded by the Botswana Police Services when they are private businesses.
How many police officers are posted to the said lodges per night; and which police stations these officers are drawn from?
In his answering the Minister in the defense Ministry denied that Botswana Police Services officers guard the said hotels.
“It is not true that that lodges in the Chobe enclave in the Chobe District are guarded by the police officers.”
Kgathi said the truth of the matter is that due to frequent crime in the Chobe area Botswana Police’s response has deployed officers to counter the escalating crime.
“The deployments of such patrols are for the benefit of any vulnerable business in the area,” the Minister answered.
Mmolotsi further questioned the Minister whether he was aware that BPS officers are assigned trips in the Chobe District to specifically guard hotels that are owned by big cats in the Chobe enclave.
The Minister also further denied any involvement of police officers in the safeguarding of top cats Hotels in Chobe.
“I am not aware of anything of that sort. Polices officers are deployed wherever they are deployed in the country for a purpose of protecting the nation. Whoever gave the honourable Member such information was wrong,” said Kgathi.
It is not for the first time BPS is accused of policing privately owned properties. Previously the BPS was accused of guarding Choppies Super Stores especially around closure time.
BPS denied such allegations at the time saying the police guard every complex especially where there is movement of money.
