Sunday, February 9, 2025

Reward fund is underutilised

Detective Sergeant Baleofi Disho of the Department of Narcotics Fauna and Flora has said the government has provided his department with funds to reward those members of the society who give tip offs to police, that lead to arrest of drug lords and other criminals.

Unfortunately members of the society are underutilising the funds by staying mum even when they have sufficient information to take such culprits to their righteous place.

The money just rusts in the safes he said, and the government might even consider taking it elsewhere.

Consequently he said, unscrupulous elders continue to enslave young people on drug and alcohol abuse, the worse perpetration of which is when kiosks build near schools are selling points of illicit drugs.

Children lose their wellbeing, lose their career, their future and become a burden to the government and the society. Many end in jail and their lives are thus forever prejudiced.

“You know these people and some of you here might be sellers of such drugs. We recently confiscated tones of dagga from Swaziland and I know some of you here know who the suppliers are,” he said to murmurs of audience comprising parents and teachers.

This was during a meeting at Naledi Senior Secondary School, called by the management of the school, Friday, to share with parents and other stake holders; the nerve-wracking incidence of drug and alcohol abuse and juvenile delinquency in the country.
Disho pointed out the fact that there are untrue stories that Police do not protect identity of the whistle blowers. It is the people themselves who after being rewarded go around boasting that they are well-off because of so and so (referring to suspect who had recently been arrested).

“We are proud of someone who recently got P10 000 reward and used the money to silently pay school fees, uniforms and bought a T-shirt to remember our department with. Not those of you who suddenly change from drinking cheap beer and food to purchasing expensive ones-showing that questionable financial source was a stake,” he said.

He said parents also take too long to act even when they discover behavioral change of their children until the situation worsens. Searching their children’s school bags, sweeping their rooms to find if there could be traces of drug seeds can help solve occurrence of drug abuse. Drug users he said had the tendency to take minty substances to neutralize odor. They also develop sudden love for strong colognes.

When a parent, Manners Moloi, expressed fear for reporting drug dealers who befriend uniformed police officers, Disho said he was aware that there are police who use drugs and befriend drug lords. He motivated parents to report such police because they arrest every law breaker- police inclusive.

“Report such cases and enjoy a show when we impound such police officers there and their friends. Fear not. Do not share with anyone that you orchestrated such arrest, lest you bring trouble to yourself. Do not tell even your lover,” he said.

Mothei Sejakgomo, chairperson of the Botswana Institute of Rehabilitation and re- integration of offenders (BIRRO) advised parents and teachers that they should be vigilant in handling drug users. Parents he said, should closely monitor their children’s alterations so that they can identify problems at early stages. When they discover any problem they should contact experts.

“Parents should not scold children who use drugs because they might do so at the time when they are out of stock. In such a situation the addict is more violent that when s/he has it. That is why there are instances of children murdering parents,” explained the former addict who has experience of 12-year-prison sentence due to violence caused by drug abuse. He said there are signs for presence of drugs. Some of them are a hanging empty plastic by the entrance or shoes hanging by laces on power lines.

He explained that there is a lot of competition in the gang world, with gangsters proving prowess and level of brutality. Hence rise in incidences of murder by criminals. He explained that his NGO is willing to be of assistance to the society.

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