Mmusi sets record straight
Larona Makhaiza | Tuesday July 11, 2023 06:00
The minister was responding to a question by Member of Parliament for Tonota and Deputy Speaker, Pono Moatlhodi last week. Moatlhodi had asked the minister if it is indeed true that applicants have to go through an 11km marathon and added that what the ministry is doing is nefarious if they require one to run the distance.
“If the applicants are subjected to run an 11km marathon as part of the interview, does the minister realise that this is an exploitation of our fellow countrymen and women who may lack the athletic capability and endurance?” Moatlhodi asked in Parliament. In response to Moatlhodi’s question, Mmusi told Parliament that it was far from the truth. “It is not true that applicants joining disciplined forces are subjected to run some 11km marathon as part of the interview,” responded Mmusi.
He echoed that though what Moatlhodi said is not true, he exclaimed that the work of the discipline force requires one to be up for any challenge. “The force requires one to be physically and mentally fit at all times,” Mmusi said. He further said applicants will always be required to undergo a physical proficiency test (PPT) to assess and check out their fitness which is a requirement for all disciplined forces. Mmusi went to great lengths to assuring that Moatlhodi is answered as well as Batswana at large tuned into Parliament. “Disciplined forces have established standards and processes relevant to their respective conditions and are all benchmarked to conform to international best practices,” he explained. Additionally, he appraised Parliament on the distance run by the applicants in the disciplined forces.
“The BDF and Botswana Prisons Service both use the 2.4km run as part of their physical proficiency test, while Botswana Police Service employs the ’12 minute Cooper test’ in which participants try to cover as much distance as they can in 12 minutes,” he revealed. Mmusi explained that in the 12-minute Cooper test, the applicants could only reach distances between 2.2km and 2.8km depending on their age.
Responding to Moatlhodi’s additional questioning of whether measures are put in place by disciplined forces in case applicants get injured during their running tests, Mmusi said: “The recruitments are overseen and conducted by qualified medical personnel integral to the respective recruitment boards.”