Female Police prosecutors taking suspects to court
On Friday May 20, 2022, female police officers from all 41 policing stations across the country marched off the ground on a high note after an intensive three-day operation Basadi.
"Basadi" which literally means 'women' in Sotho and Tswana languages is an operation by female police officers across countries in the SADC region and it focuses on combating priority crimes particularly against women and children, such as defilement, rape, assault, human trafficking, domestic violence and child labour among others.
During the three day operation which commenced on May 18, 2022, women in uniform arrested perpetrators of sexual and various offences, conducted sensitisation meetings, inteligence driven sweeping exercises and roadblock checks.
For instance, on the night of May 18, 2022, female officers from Mzuzu arrested 8 suspects who were camping in one house in Chibavi area. The officers also recovered assorted police uniforms including five packer jackets, two reflectors, bullet proofs and PMS uniform.
In Kawale, female law enforcers arrested 2 suspects who fraudulently swindled K10 million from various people through social media. The suspects placed an advert that they were to offer a training to the youth who will later be employed as data collectors in their fake company.
During this three day operation, women in uniform across the country nabbed atleast 100 suspects on various offences.
The main purpose of the operation is to display the active role female police officers play in law enforcement. The SADC region operation was established in 2013 under the theme: "We are on it, gender based violence must stop."
Basadi operation normally takes place twice annually and every female police officer in the SADC region is expected to participate.