- Say they suspect superiors of misappropriating the funds
- BPS declines to discuss the issue
- Only officers under Tlokweng Police Station are affected by this
GAZETTE REPORTER
FRANCISTOWN: Members of Botswana Police Service (BPS) at District Number Three are at odds with their superiors over payment of their three months’ COVID deployment claims, The Botswana Gazette has established.
Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus in Botswana last year, numerous police officers were deployed in different operations to help in the fight against the pandemic. Border patrols, patrolling public areas and escort of trucks entering the country were some of the duties that the police were deployed on. It is the officers who performed these duties under supervision of Tlokweng Police Station who have not been paid.
The Botswana Gazette has established that the police officer assigned to these COVID duties were to be paid P152 per day payable every two weeks in the course of their three months’ deployment. The amount was reportedly reduced to P114 per day two weeks into these duties.
However, not a thebe of this has been paid out to officers who were under supervision of Number Three District (Tlokweng Police Station) but the officers completed their deployment in December last year. This has led to suspicions among the officers that their superiors have misappropriated the money due to them, especially that their colleagues who were similarly deployed elsewhere have been paid.
“It seems our superiors are unable to account for the fund,” said one of the affected officers. “Whenever we ask our superiors about our overdue payment, we are told to be calm because our claims will be processed but no date is ever stated.”
BPS spokesman Near Bagali would not be drawn into discussing the issue, saying it is an internal matter that will be resolved internally. “This is an internal employer and the employee issue,” Bagali said. “Discussing it with the media would be unethical.”