THE BOTSWANA GAZEttE WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL 2020 PAGE 1 BOTSWANA DOCTORS ON HIGH DEMAND AS COVID-19 WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL 2020 P9.50 (INCL) VAT SINCE 1984 INTENSIFIES “Kitso ke maatla” PAGE 5 POLITICIANS, POLICE SOCIAL WORK- ERS CLASH OVER FOOD bASKET SCHEME ABUSE PAGE 6 MASISI WANTS ANSWERS FOR DANGEROUS COVID-19 LAPSE DURING The Minister of Health and the Director of Health Services are reportedly in trouble with the President after a lapse led to the entire elected leadership of the country being exposed to infection COVID-19 with COVID-19, The Botswana Gazette has established. PAGE 4 EX-CONVICTS LOCKDOWN? BODY WANTS PRISONERS TESTED FOR The Botswana Gazette has unearthed cases in which Batswana COVID-19 men were brutally assaulted by members of the armed forces 3 PAGE 2 (the police and soldiers), one while on his way to hospital for CHINESE EMBAS- a regular medical check-up, the other while on his way to buy SY-BOTSWANA groceries. The violent incidents have left one victim wheelchair CONDEMNS abound as President Masisi calls for action against brutality, CORONAVIRUS- KEABETSWE NEWEL and LAWRENCE SERETSE report. FUELLED XENO- PHOBIA AGAINST PAGE 2 AFRICANS PAGE 22 - 23 PAGE 2 NEWS WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL 2020 THE BOTSWANA GAZEttE Exposed: Police Abuse During Blame For Exposure To COVID-19 Reaches DISS COVID-19 Lockdown? • Some MPs say DISS failed to detect the he Botswana Ga- other groceries. But just as he zette has unearthed was about to enter the shop, Covid-19 threat two cases in which two soldiers and a police offi- • DISS says COVID-19 is outside its brief T cer called out to him from the two Batswana men were brutally assaulted by mem- roadside and asked to see his bers of Botswana’s armed permit. “I told them that our LETLHOGILE MPUANG ministry and Parliament.” forces (the police and sol- Kgosi (chief) had said we did Contacted for comment, diers), one while on his not need permits to go and he Directorate of In- the Minister of Health, Dr buy food,” Selelo told The way to hospital for a regular telligence and Secu- Lemogang Kwape, said he Gazette. rity Services (DISS) could not discuss security medical check-up, the other “They said they used a dif- T says all issues surrounding issues with this publication. while on his way to buy gro- ferent law and that I should the Coronavirus (Covid-19) The Speaker of the Na- ceries. be punished.” Whereupon are strictly for the Ministry tional Assembly, Phandu In 2016, Castro Mmele, a soldier who had no name of Health and Wellness and Skelemani, said that he then 36 years old, worked tag on ordered him to do come nowhere near the se- did seek advice from the as a Front Load Operator at bare-knuckled push-ups on cret service. health experts at the Minis- BCL Mine in Selebi-Phikwe the gravel surface. “I did 50 This comes after Presi- try of Health regarding the . Life was good because he push-ups,” Selelo went on. dent Mokgweetsi Masisi, wisdom of Parliament go- had a reliable income and “The soldier then ordered Vice President Slumber ing on despite the govern- was in a good state of health. me to do squares. I did but Tsogwane, cabinet minis- ment’s emphasis on social However, his fate would tention and therefore needed of Selibe-Phikwe Police he started kicking me, saying ters, MPs, key officials of distancing and was given later change before the first a permit.” Station, Superintendent Me- I was doing them the wrong the Ministry of Health and the green light. quarter of that year ended. In However, as he drove off, shack Pulenyane, he said he way. The others joined in the several journalists were MPs have also come April 2016, he slipped while the police chased after him, was aware of the matter be- was beating and I was seri- exposed to the virus dur- down hard on the Ministry at work and a front loading prompting his children to fore bit of a rigmarole began. ously injured.” ing last week’s emergency of Health for failing to ad- machine crashed his legs. scream and wail in terror. Pulenyane said the case was Selelo said the owner of meeting of Parliament in here to its own rules. The legs were rendered “That was when I decided being handled by Botshabelo the store and the shop atten- Gaborone and are all now The MP for Maun West, dysfunctional and Mmele not to go to the hospital but Police Station on the other dant witnessed the assault all in mandatory quaran- Dumelang Saleshando, could no longer walk or do to head back home because I side of town where Super- and even called his family to tine. said it was too reckless of anything for himself. He knew they could assault both intendent Elias Malope, the come and see what was go- In the aftermath of the the health ministry to de- became wheelchair-bound. me and my children,” Mmele Station Commander, indeed ing on. “I went to the hospi- extraordinary exposure of ploy someone who had To be fair to his employer, said. When he got home, he confirmed that there was such tal and had a medical report nearly the entire political been exposed to the virus BCL played its part in as- went into the toilet but sud- a case there. done that I used to report the leadership of Botswana to a to an event where the coun- sisting with medical care. denly heard the police and He said Mmele had opened case at the police station,” he deadly virus at a time, some try’s leadership was gath- Although his condition had soldiers inside his house ap- a case of assault and abuse said. “The Commander told MPs expressed the view ered. “This person had been improved over time, he relied parently searching for him. that was being investigated. me that they would call me that DISS had failed to de- working at a place where on crutches to get about. He Finding him in the toilet, they But lo and behold, the police, after discussing the matter tect the Covid-19 threat. they were exposed to the became a regular at Selibe- dragged him out naked. “My Superintendent Malope said, internally. “DISS is responsible for virus,” Saleshando noted. Phikwe Government Hospi- wife was also in the house had also opened a case of re- But they never called me the personal protection of tal for undergoing check-ups in a state of undress,” said sisting arrest against Mmele! and I do not know if my case the President,” the Public But the MP for Okavan- and collecting medicines. Mmele. The Botswana Gazette asked will be attended to or not.” - go, Kenny Kapinga, sees Such an occasion fell again Relations Officer of the se “More than seven police how a disabled man could At Matsiloje Police Station, cret service, Edward Rob- things differently: “We can- on Tuesday last week and and military vehicles were resist arrest so strongly as to the Commander Superinten- ert, told this publication in not say there was any intel- Mmele duly left his house suddenly parked at my house warrant violence by a ‘mob’ dent Charles Mbengwa’s mo- an interview. ligence failure,” he said. in his Nissan Dyna bakkie to and I was beaten and kicked of police and military offi- bile phone went unanswered. “That is one of our pri- “Even in the UK where they go and get his medication at by more 15 police officers cers. “That’s why the case is An officer on the landline mary mandates. Ministry have the most sophisticated Selibe-Phikwe Government and soldiers. My entire body, under investigation,” came said Mbengwa had travelled of Health of Wellness is intelligence, their Prime Hospital. including my legs, was bleed- the answer from Malope. to Francistown on official responsible for dealing with Minister Boris Johnson still But in an interview days ing and swelling up. I was all “We want to establish what business. A BPS headquarters all issues of COVID-19. In got infected with this virus. later, he related how along the while telling them that I really happened.” in Gaborone, Senior Superin- this particular matter, you The blame should be on the the way he stopped to get his was not a well person. At any Approached by this publi- tendent Motube said he was should engage the relevant Ministry of Health.” mobile phone from a neigh- rate, some of the police of- cation, the spokesman of Bo- not aware of any such case. bour. His two children, aged ficers knew about my condi- tswana Police Service, Senior However, against the back- 13 years and 11 years, were tion but even they assaulted Superintendent Dipheko Mo- ground of these incidents and and inmates inside. Speak- BIRRO also wants the riding in the back. Suddenly me nevertheless.” The brutal- tube, said he was not aware of similar ones elsewhere across the police, accompanied by ing with this publication government to provide pris- ising only stopped when his the case. Mmele’s case is Botswana, the Office of the soldiers, called out to him yesterday, Sejakgomo cited oners with toiletry, as well assailants realised that he was similar to that of James Sele- President issued a statement South Africa’s Sunday Times as to arrange for phone calls saying his car was parked in seriously injured and took lo* (not his real name), a 21- in which it condemned police the road.