10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Street Crime In Gaborone

Botswana has been dubbed as one of the safest countries in the world, but of late, reports show that we are not completely immune from crime. Expatriates, visitors, and residents should be aware that criminal incidents continue to occur regardless of location. The biggest crime threats remain confrontational thefts (residential burglaries and smash-and-grabs or snatch-and-grabs from vehicles either in traffic or parked. The following list will help protect you, and may even save your life!

1. Avoid walking the streets alone at night. Use public transport or take a cab. Keep a note of local combi routes and taxi numbers.
2. Don’t walk or jog early in the morning or late at night when the streets are deserted. When out at night, try to have a friend walk with you.
3. If you are robbed or assaulted, report the crime to the police. Try to describe the attacker accurately. Your actions can help prevent someone else from becoming a victim .
4. When carrying a purse, ladies should have only a few notes placed inside. Credit cards, currency, driver’s license, keys and jewellery should be carried in a coat or sweater pocket or concealed on your person to reduce the opportunity of large losses.
5.  Guys should carry a second wallet containing a few notes and old expired credit cards, which are normally destroyed or discarded. If confronted at knife or gunpoint, give the suspect the second wallet and concentrate on a good physical description to help the police in making the arrest
6. If someone tries to rob you, give up your property, don’t give up your life.
7. Walk on the side of the street nearest to oncoming traffic. If accosted by someone in a car, run in the direction opposite the way the car is headed.
8. Upon returning home, particularly after dark, do not linger at the entrance of your residence, enter immediately. If you feel something is strange, don’t enter but go elsewhere and call for police assistance.
9. If you feel someone is following you, go to the nearest occupied residence or building, and ask for assistance.

10. Don’t display your cash or any other inviting targets such as pagers, cell phones, hand-held electronic games, or expensive jewellery and clothing.

Areas of Concern

Always exercise caution near the Gaborone Dam and Kgale Hill areas during times when there are few hikers (generally late morning, midday, and at dusk). Recent armed robberies have targeted single or hikers in pairs and have occurred at midday and dusk.