𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐅𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒-𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

The Commissioner of Botswana Police Service (BPS), Commissioner Dinah Marathe, yesterday (16/09/2026) paid a courtesy call on the Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, in Pretoria, South Africa.

The Commissioner of Botswana Police Service (BPS), Commissioner Dinah Marathe, yesterday (16/09/2026) paid a courtesy call on the Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, in Pretoria, South Africa. The meeting endorsed the longstanding relationship between the two neighbouring Police Services and underscored their shared commitment to combating transnational organised crime through enhanced cooperation, intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement operations. Commissioner Marathe acknowledged the deep historical, social, cultural and economic ties between Botswana and South Africa, noting that the close interaction between the two countries also presents opportunities for criminal elements to exploit shared borders. She emphasised that challenges such as stock theft, motor vehicle theft, human trafficking, drug trafficking, illegal migration, financial crimes, cyber-enabled offences and the smuggling of illicit goods require a coordinated regional response built on timely intelligence sharing and operational collaboration. The Commissioner further highlighted the persistent challenge of cross-border stock theft, revealing that between 2023 and 2026, 3,441 livestock, predominantly small stock, were reported stolen in Botswana and taken across the border into South Africa, with only 480 recovered. She stressed that the increasing sophistication of organised criminal syndicates, including the use of drone technology by organised criminals, calls for stronger joint operations and seamless cooperation between the two Police Services. For her part, Lieutenant General Dimpane reaffirmed SAPS' commitment to strengthening bilateral policing relations with Botswana, noting that criminals should never be allowed to exploit international borders to evade justice. She emphasised the importance of continuous information exchange, intelligence-led policing, joint investigations and coordinated operations to effectively disrupt organised criminal networks operating across the region. The two Police Chiefs also acknowledged the evolving nature of crime, particularly cyber-enabled offences and the growing influence of organised criminal groups, agreeing that prevention, proactive intelligence sharing and collaborative policing remain critical to safeguarding communities on both sides of the border. The Botswana Police Service remains committed to working closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other regional partners to strengthen border security, enhance public safety and ensure that the shared border remains a barrier to crime rather than an opportunity for criminals.