Mmegi: Who is Dipheko Motube?Motube: My name is Henceford Dipheko Motube, born in Kopong back on July 13, 1962, but my parents originate from Gabane, so Gabane is my ancestral village with 98% of us based there. In the past, residents of villages like Metsimotlhabe, Kopong, and recently Gakutlo came into existence because people from Gabane had occupied them as their lands (ene ele masimo a bone) and later developed into villages.
I attended my primary school at Letsholo Primary School in Kopong from 1971 and 1978 and went to Molefi Senior Secondary School in Mochudi between 1978 and 1982 doing Form 1 up to Form 5. I was placed under Tirelo Sechaba (National Service) at Zwenshambe in 1983. Then, I was placed in various departments, sometimes assisting at the clinic, primary school, and the village Kgotla.
Mmegi: When did you join the BPS and what lured you into the force, particularly given the small size of the force in the early days?Motube: A lot happened at Zwenshambe that shaped my life because it is where I fell in love with policing after I met Ernest Sekai, who was a police officer, based at Zwenshambe Kgotla under the then Botswana Local Police. I liked how he carried himself, and his appearance because he was always clean and respected by the whole community. We used to patrol amongst villages in North East using bicycles and I developed more interest in policing.
“Sekai o ne a nna a le clean, mme thata thata ke ne ke rata kepese ya gagwe ya sepodisi e neng e tshwantshitswe lengau (a cheetah). I remember telling him that next year I will be putting on the similar cap and indeed I applied and joined the BPS the following year,” Motube said.
I joined BPS on September 14, 1984, and my first post was in Francistown where I worked for two years and was transferred to police headquarters and joined BPS media department. In 1987 I enrolled for a radio journalism course at Radio Botswana whilst still a police officer and led the police Crime Prevention and Sepodisi Gompieno programmes on Radio Botswana.
Then, there were three major professions in Botswana, a teacher, a police officer, or a nurse and jobs were available. I was the fourth person in Kopong to become a police officer and the first to attain the rank of Assistant Commissioner. Moreover, I was the first person to speak on radio in Kopong.
Mmegi: Take us through your career path and what is your proudest moment(s) in your career?
Motube: Whilst still a police officer in 1991-1993, I went to Molepolole College of Education to study teaching and then I was a Sergeant. I am a trained teacher, I did my teaching practice at Boiteko Junior Secondary School (JSS).
1994: I was promoted to Sub-Inspector
1999: I was promoted to the rank of an Inspector
2002: I was promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent
2008: I was promoted to the rank of Superintendent
2009: I was promoted to the rank of Senior Superintendent
2017: I was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner
My highlight was when I was spearheading the Crime File programme which started as Sepodisi Gompieno. That’s where I became famous for doing the programme in Radio Botswana. Then I was also a contributor to Tatediso ya Dikgang reporting crime issues.
I was deployed as a BPS Public Relations Officer in 2017 and I retired as the longest-serving PRO. One of my highlights was when I was selected to lead Kgomokhumo Anti-Stock theft operation after it was introduced in 2018. I believe I led the programme exceptionally because I developed a lot of customer base, coordinated activities, led intelligence of the operation, and members of the public trusted my work to the point of helping us as the police to fight and control stock theft countrywide.
Mmegi: What can you say about Kgomokhumo?
Motube: I wish to see Kgomokhumo progressing well and curb stock theft completely because most farmers have given up on farming because of stock theft. I have realised that the wheels of justice are slow and suspects of stock theft usually get away with their crime because cases are not moving in our courts. We currently have repeat offenders who have more than 10 bails with their cases pending for over a decade at Magistrates Court. Stock thieves have seen this loophole and taking advantage of this but we have been taking cases to customary courts and managed to convict a number of suspects.
Mmegi: Had you not been a Police Officer, which other career would you have wanted to pursue?Motube: I might be a trained teacher but I always loved policing. I did the course just to upgrade my CV, I have never pursued teaching.
Mmegi: In terms of growth, which rank did you want to attain before leaving the service? Motube: I always wished to be a member of the senior management team and I have achieved that because I retired as an Assistant Commissioner.
Mmegi: What will you be doing during your retirement? Motube: I will be contributing anything towards the development of my village and I am planning to contribute to the development of the country through farming. I am a farmer, I have a farm with a borehole at Moetlo cattle post on the outskirts of Medie village. I want to take advantage of government initiatives, feed the nation through agriculture, and grow the agric sector. I also have a shopping complex in Kopong called Poong with a salon, a bar, and a butchery.
Mmegi: Any message to your former colleagues?
Motube: I encourage my former colleagues to work hard, to be vigilant, and patient in delivering their mandate, and to do their work with diligence. I know that issues of welfare remain a concern in policing but I encourage them to hold on and be patient. As long as there is crime, the police institution will always hire people every year and issues of welfare will always be a problem. I am pleading with them to support the Commissioner of Police and the new administration to deliver their mandate.
Mmegi:What’s your message to Batswana?
Motube: I plead with my fellow citizens to refrain from crime, take advantage of government initiatives, venture into businesses, and be producers. The economy of any country is developed by producers, not people who wait to get paid at the end of the month. The majority of people especially the youth are crowded in towns and cities without jobs and they end up engaging in criminal activities. I am encouraging them to take advantage of available government initiatives, start their own businesses, and help develop the country’s economy.
