The Commissioner of the Botswana Police Service, Dinah Marathe, is in Bloemfontein in South Africa’s Free State Province for a high level regional engagement. She is attending the South African Police Service Excellence Awards and Police Day celebrations taking place from 26 to 28 January 2026. The visit highlights the growing importance of regional police cooperation in Southern Africa. It also reflects Botswana’s active role in shared security initiatives. Such engagements strengthen professional ties between neighboring police services.
Commissioner Marathe is accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner responsible for Police Operations, Katlholo Mosimanegape. During the visit, they have joined Police Commanders from the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation. Participating countries include Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The presence of multiple regional police leaders underscores the collective approach to crime prevention. It also reinforces the value of coordinated law enforcement strategies.
While in South Africa, Commissioner Marathe is scheduled to meet her counterpart, the National Commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola. The meeting will focus on strengthening collaboration on law enforcement and operational matters. Discussions will prioritize cross-border cooperation and joint crime prevention strategies. Both leaders aim to improve information sharing and operational support. The goal is safer communities in Botswana and South Africa.
The visit follows an invitation by SAPS to SARPCCO Police Chiefs and seeks to cement long standing regional relations. It also creates space for police heads to engage on shared security challenges. These include arms trafficking, organised crime, criminal syndicates, money laundering and cybercrime. SARPCCO serves as a regional body for police chiefs within SADC member states. Its core mandate is to prevent and combat cross-border and transnational organised crime through cooperation.
