A military intelligence officer attached to the Police Service was attacked and injured by striking public servants while on duty in Ramotswa.
He was in plain clothes.
In an interview, the Police said they have assigned uniformed and plain clothes officers to the assembly points to maintain law and order among the striking public servants.
On the other hand, union leaders say they do not want any security agents at their assembly points because they spy on them. The chairman of Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSO) in the South East region, Segale Kgari, told the Telegraph that “a suspected security agent was attacked and injured by our members”.
He explained that the security agent was spotted by some of the members who ordered him to leave but he refused to take the orders. He said some members then attacked him and confiscated his official cell phone.
“We still have his phone as I speak to you now,” he said.
He said Ramotswa police station commander phoned him and requested him to bring back the phone.
“I will not go to the police station to hand over the phone. They are the ones who should come to us and take their phone,” said Kgari.
He warned the police that they should stop the tendency of spying at their assembly points.
“If we have a problem we will call them but because we have gathered legally there is no point for them to spy on us and to monitor us,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer of the Botswana Police, Assistant Commission Christopher Mbulawa, said they are investigating an incident in which one member of the disciplined forces was attacked and injured near or around the assembly point where strikers assembled. He said they have not arrested any suspects as yet but they are following leads that might lead to the arrest of the culprits.
“We have not established as yet the motive behind the attack,” he said.
Mbulawa was reluctant to confirm whether the attacked officer was either a police officer or BDF. He said the investigations are still at initial stages and after the completion of the investigation they will reveal the motive behind the attack.
He said there are police officers in uniform as well as those in plain clothes who are assigned to monitor the situation at the assembly points to maintain law and order.
