NATION UNDER SIEGE
Botswana Police Commissioner Dinah Marathe has admitted that the nation is under drug siege as the flood of narcotics into Botswana keeps her awake at night.
Speaking about the escalating crisis, Marathe said the spread of drugs across towns and remote villages alike is fuelling crime and threatening to swallow the country’s youth.
“What keeps me awake is the safety of this nation.”
According to the Commissioner, drugs are no longer confined to urban areas; even the smallest settlements are becoming distribution hubs.
She noted that a few days ago, police arrested a suspect in a small settlement found in possession of 90 kilograms of drugs. In Kazungula, 400 kilograms of dagga were intercepted while allegedly being smuggled across the border into another country. In Mamuno, another 100 kilograms were seized within the same week.
Marathe said these are not small amounts, expressing concern that such volumes are circulating in sparsely populated areas without community members raising an alarm.
She warned that drugs are directly linked to rising crime in the country, arguing that many offences committed by young people would not occur in the absence of substance abuse.
Marathe said drugs are the root cause of ills such as gender-based violence, robberies, murders, burglaries and theft.
“If we can control drugs, we will control GBV, robberies, murders and burglary. Our safety will be guaranteed.”
The Commissioner is now calling for a national declaration of war against drugs, urging communities to take responsibility alongside law enforcement.
She stressed that policing alone will not win the battle, but community-based strategies, public vigilance and vigorous awareness campaigns are needed to cut supply and reduce demand.
“As a nation, we need to come together and say: what do we do to take drugs out of our streets and villages?”
Marathe said she wants her tenure to be remembered for honour, distinction and respect, but made it clear that such a legacy will depend on whether Botswana can successfully confront the drug epidemic.