The Botswana Police Commissioner, Thebeyame Tsimako, has appointed a new director for the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) following the retirement of Wilmon Karahindi who called it a day on the 31st of December last year.
Karahindi had led the branch for about eight years.
Many police officers felt that the Police Commissioner could have brought in new blood to the directorship of the CID as the department is viewed to have collapsed due to the departure of well-experienced detectives, making it mandatory for the department to have a foot soldier who can bring the old culture of hard work back to the CID.
Matthews Maduwane, who deputized Karahindi for some time, took over the directorship of the CID on the 1st of this month.
Maduwane comes in at a time when the CID is faced with lots of challenges that include lack of resources and a shortage of manpower.
Contacted for comment, the new director said, “I am unable to talk to you because I am still sorting out some internal matters first therefore there is nothing to say.”
A good number of police officers, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Sunday Standard that Maduwane “was not a preferred candidate by other senior police management officers because he is not articulate and not yet ready to run such a department that needs to be revived after the departure of many experienced detectives”.
They said the Commissioner could have picked from three more suitable candidates that include Melton Mapange, David Mosetse and Kesetsenao Tsweneitsele”.
“Take a person like Mapange,” they said. “He has for sometime led the Serious Crime squad and his strong character has made him to become a director similar to Tswneitsele who is well known for his sharp character.”
On Mosetse, they said he once led Interpol in Zimbabwe and later transferred to Interpol Botswana and was then promoted to head the Crime Intelligence Bureau, commonly known as CRIB where he is doing very well.
Other police officers welcome the new appointment of both Maduwane and Tshweneitsele saying the new director is down to earth and will improve his branch.
Mapange has been promoted to Divisional Commander North while Tshweneitsele has also been promoted to deputise Maduwane.
