Minister of Homeland Security Peter Mukhito has asked Malawi Police Service to strengthen its collaboration with the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (Sarpcco) to boost the fight against transnational crimes.
The minister said at the opening of Sarpcco’s 31st Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lilongwe yesterday that transnational organised crimes such as drug trafficking and human trafficking are affecting all countries in the region.
Mukhito said strong collaboration will be critical to ably combat crime.
He said: “We want to see them coming up with strategies that try to prevent the human trafficking which is rampant in our region and some transnational crimes like drug trafficking.
“We are a global village, we are not operating in isolation. Some cases that are happening in Southern Africa are so alien that are perhaps associated with well developed countries, but you find out they are coming and affecting our region, so the need for us to join hands and fight these crimes.”
Malawi Police Inspector General Richard Luhanga, who is the outgoing chairperson of Sarpcco, said significant progress has been registered in ensuring that member countries implement Sarpcco resolutions.
“There is a lot of progress in terms of Sarpcco resolution implementation. For example we saw that in Namibia they are developing their transnational strategy, Malawi has also committed to develop. We also went to Tanzania where it was seen that they are making a lot of progress,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nico Group representative Washington Chimuzu, speaking on behalf of the private sector, described the regional police cooperation as key in ensuring safety within the region which creates conducive environment for business.
In August this year, Luhanga is expected to handover the chairmanship to the Kingdom of Eswatin Commissioner of Police Manoma Masango.
Nico group sponsored the Southern African Regional Police Chief Cooperation Organisation 31 AGM to the tune of K300 million.
Held under the theme ‘Enhancing law enforcement strategies in combating transnational organised crimes in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic and beyond,’ the meeting provides a platform for the regional security masters to formulate strategies meant to combat transnational crimes. It has attracted police chiefs from Southern Africa Development Community countries.
