On Wednesday female police officers from all 41 policing stations across the country took lead in all policing spheres and apprehended 132 suspects in an intensive three-day operation Basadi.

According to Police Women Network Secretary Amina Tepani Daudi, during the operation which commenced on December 5, 2022, women in uniform led by their chairperson, Miss Jessie Nyirongo, Assistant Commissioner of Police, who is also Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation Department arrested perpetrators of sexual and various offences, conducted sensitisation meetings, sweeping exercises and roadblock checks.

“For instance, on the morning of December 5, 2022, officers from Salima arrested Limbikani Samalani, 23, who was on the run after defiling three minors(10-12-years) on November 29, 2022 in the district while in Mzuzu the female officers arrested Bwayi Kita, 73 and Manuel Zulu, 20, Pastor and Prophet of Mzuzu Zion Church for defiling two siblings (14 and 15-years),” narrated Daudi.

In Zomba, the female cops arrested 17 suspects who committed various felonies including Felix Kamalisha, 28, who assaulted his ex-girlfriend and the victim is currently receiving treatment at Zomba General Hospital. In Mangochi Davie Chiepa, 38, was arrested for robbery while in Balaka Hussein Potani, 40, was nabbed after being found with assorted medical drugs without licence in his grocery when the officers were patrolling within the Township.

South East Region Police formations visited Khonjeni Primary School in Thyolo and donated writing materials, Ntcheu female cops cheered up female inmates at Ntcheu Prison Service where they donated assorted food items including bags of maize, flour, cooking oil, soap, sugar and salt, while Eastern Region Police Headquarters, Chikwawa, Nkhunga, Monkey-Bay, Dowa, Kasungu and Liwonde dated various communities to preach GBV related issues.

“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.