Accepting the equipment on behalf of the Police Commissioner, the Deputy Police Commissioner Mr. Kizito Mhlakaza thanked the Global Fund for assisting the Police services to execute their job effectively particularly that of field investigations especially at this time when the number of orphans and vulnerable children is high due to HIV and AIDS related deaths.

“The equipment came at the right time when the Police is about to implement a new project that aims at investigating the impact of Sexual Offences to the increased number of HIV and AIDS cases in the country,” explained Mhlakaza.

He said it came to the realization of the police that some of the perpetrators of sexual offences such as rape are HIV positive but the country has no concrete baseline data to determine the magnitude and contribution of this gender-based violence to the escalating number of HIV and AIDS in the country.

“On behalf of the police we express our sincere gratitudes from the bottom of our heart and promise that the equipment will be used for the intended purpose of protecting vulnerable groups and ensure the safety of the whole community,” he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, the GFCU Deputy Coordinator Mr. Mokhothu Makhalanyane said this is not the first time for Global Fund to support the police. “The Global Fund grants supported the police with the Child Protection and Human Rights trainings at all levels of the police and further bought two 4x4 vehicles and 10 motorbikes to speed up Investigations of cases and today we are presenting camping equipment,” he added.

Mokhothu said the camping equipment is not the last but promised that GFCU with the assistance of Global Fund grants will countinue to help the police to address their challenges and improve the quality of their services to ensure the safety of children and the community at large.

The CGPU Global Fund Project officer Ms. Masoabi Thosa said during the investigations of cases especially in the remote areas where there is no accommodation, it becomes difficult for the police officers to complete their work at a short time unless they stay in the field.

“Therefore the camping equipment will help the officers to camp in remote crime areas and conduct their investigations thoroughly without worries of accommodation,” she added. Thosa thanked the Global Fund for the continued support to the police particularly Child and Gender Protection Unit (CGPU) in a bid to ensure the safety of children and other vulnerable groups of the society.

The camping equipment comprised of camping tents, mattresses, back pack (bags), sleeping bags, water bottles, gas lamps, camping stoves and gas cartridges. The equipment will be distributed to the 12 police stations around the country which include Maseru rural, urban and police headquarters. Other equipment will go to Berea, Leribe, Butha Buthe, Mokhotlong, Thaba Tseka, Qacha’s nek, Quthing, Mohale’s hoek and Mafeteng.