Towards a Safe and Secure Nation: The First Consultative Conference on Firearm Control, Ownership and Administration in Botswana, 13-15 May, 2003

Public awareness and education by the Director of MISA
Mr M H D Maphanyane

The discussions on Fire Arms Control, Ownership and Administration could not have come at a more opportune time for Botswana than now. Botswana's development plans and strategies are currently being aligned to achieve Vision 2016 objectives. We are all aware of the national vision of Botswana called 2016. One of this country's goals is to create a "safe and secure nation" where lofty ideas are envisioned.

We claim that "by the year 2016, Botswana will have eliminated serious and violent crime, the illegal possession of firearms, and the distribution and use of addictive drugs. The growth of white colour crime will have ended so that all stakeholders can have confidence that their assets and investments are safe". The goals of a safe and secure nation go on to declare that: "By the year 2016, violation of the physical well-being and human rights of individuals will have ended, along with the abuse of spouses and children. The public will have sufficient confidence in law enforcement agencies and in public protective services to report crimes. Law enforcement procedures will be strong. The training of national and local police will be integrated and developed".

For starters, the above quotations are imposing and very categorical. The words used are definite and leave no assumptions about their intent and desire. The main question that is in all of our minds right now is, whose job it is to see to the attainment of these loft' and ambitious goals of Vision 2016? Should it be the Police Service or the Vision 2016 Secretariat when it comes to ensuring that a safe and secure nation is attained? Our concern here in this conference is making sure that the nation at large is made aware of the contents of this provision contained in Vision 2016. How many of us are aware of the gravity and pervasiveness of the above Vision 2016 quotations? What methods need to be brought into effect for the nation at large to understand and work towards the attainment of a safe and secure nation?

In listening to presentations at the official launch of this conference yesterday, I particularly took note of the common emphasis on collective responsibility by all for the successful combating of illicit firearms proliferation. His Excellency the President of Botswana, Mr Festus Mogae's own words were: "the fight against illicit firearms proliferation demands the need for joint efforts, unity of purpose and shared responsibility".

Those words need to be conveyed to all citizens as part of public awareness raising by those changed with the responsibility to publicize dangers associated with firearms misuse. The President went on to share with those present at the launch ceremony numbers of deaths and injuries caused through firearms misuse. These statistics should not be kept in Police files but shared with the general public if we are galvanize the entire society to fight against firearms misuse. The public awareness campaign is multi-faceted, but those with facts and figures need to share these facts and figures with others if there is going to be any collaborative work by all. Both the Commissioner of Police as well as the President himself informed us that the purpose of this all-inclusive conference was to enable the general public to have input in the ideas and provide input into information needed before a law is passed in Parliament to amend the current Arms and Ammunitions Act of Botswana.

Despite the fact that the President described Botswana's laws on firearms and ammunitions and other related materials as being among the most restrictive in the world, he indicated that he shares the society's current concerns regarding the number of cases of deaths, injury as well as violent crime inflicted through firearms misuse. Many of these crimes are committed by people known to someone in our society, but little is done to share such information with the relevant authorities or the Police. Society at large needs to be part and parcel of the solutions to this malaise or else the attainment of a safe and secure nation will remain a pipe dream come year 2016.

We are also aware of the comparatively conducive political and economic conditions existing in our country, which attract undesirable elements to it. It goes without saying that in our desire to raise awareness within our society, we have to work in collaboration not only with all stakeholders within Botswana but we also need collaborative efforts with all SADC neighbours. The SADC Protocol has set a basis for such collaboration, but what is left is to create clear implementation strategies on the ground. What are the leadership roles each and all stakeholders can bring to such strategies and are the Police sensitive to such efforts by the general public.

It would be a misconception for any to believe that such a task could be left to a department or one organization to achieve. In my view, this question raises a number of issues, which could provide answers to its resolution. For instance, who is responsible for conscientizing employees under each Organization, Institution or Government department, Business entities or civil society groups under their control, what role do political and traditional leaders have to play in driving the efforts to fight illicit proliferation of firearms, ammunition and related materials? There is also the case of self defense used by citizens as a right to arm themselves. We also need to make the public aware of the inherent creation of a violent society by the way they bring up children through buying them toys which encourage macho or violent behaviour. Have we ever thought of toys sold in our business for money targeted at children, should laws be put in place to prevent these? Would that be right in a democratic society where people are expected to think for themselves without government interference".

Are there other types of small arms that also need talking about as part of awareness building without necessarily making laws to prohibit them or should they too be legislated against in one way or another? These issues are important for this conference as well as important for public awareness campaigns and conscientization. What educational issues need to be brought into tour syllabi both at early stages of learning and at higher education levels? Should we start educating children about human rights and the right of expression at such tender ages? Is our educational system prepared for such liberating subject content?

Much of my presentation on public awareness and education so far has touched little, if any, on the role of media. This was deliberate so that we could put in context other stakeholders first. The media's role will always be crucial in any mass awareness and education initiatives. The variety of media channels available for information dissemination include printed materials, radio, TV, telecommunications instruments, public announcements, public gatherings and, of late, internet facilities to mention but a few. These tools are available for information sharing, but are also premised on the availability of technical, infrastructural and skill provision. It is necessary therefore to select that medium that would best suit the locality one is targeting. One must also know the gap between rural and urban communities in the provision of communication infrastructure. The question to ask would be how much of the above media has been used to spread the word about firearms misuse in Botswana?

The Police, as the present Commissioner of Police indicated during his launch address to the conference, have taken tentative steps in trying to fight crime through increased patrols at appropriate times, road blocks and joint anti-crime groups between communities and the police. This is a laudable public awareness initiative, because it addresses both symptoms and root cause of the firearm problems. Much needs to be done to create a society that is intolerant to criminals including household crime committed against women and children by use of firearms. The other problem that needs to be combated in the fight against firearm misuse would have to do with attitudes. One of these attitudes relates to a perception by the general populace that many government department and parastatal employees are trained to 'horde' information rather than share it with the public. The media is faced with a challenge of inadequate provision of information from many of the abovementioned institutions - a great deal. If awareness is to be joint and all-inclusive, 'these attitudes must change. (These attitudes also abide in the private as well as NGO communities, but they are at least not compiled by the nature of the interaction to be totally accountable to citizens).

The "Public Awareness and Education" role in my view should be, as widely dispersed amongst all stakeholders as possible, to suit the public responsibility under each stakeholder s control. If we are to achieve the goals as set by Vision 2016 on a "Safe and Secure Nation" then these must be a war fought from all angles and by all. One cannot agree any less with the view expressed by President Mogae that security issues are not the concern of the Police alone, but mothers and fathers (all of us) must play our part if success has to be achieved.