Hirschfeld laid to rest

As the mortal remains of Simon Hirschfeld were laid to rest at Phomolong Memorial Park in Phakalane, Gaborone, a traditional police funeral three-volley gun salute rang out, symbolising duty, honour and country. The tribute was fitting for a man who dedicated 39 years of service to national law enforcement, became Botswana’s first Motswana Police Commissioner and spent a record 24 years at the helm of the Botswana Police Service (BPS). “We are paying our final respects to a pioneering patriot, a man who did not merely witness Botswana’s history, but actively shaped it.

Hirschfeld’s name is permanently engraved into the foundation of our country,” Minister for State President, Defence and Security Mr Moeti Mohwasa said in his eulogy, addressing mourners who braved the winter morning chill to gather at the Hirschfeld residence in Mogoditshane. He said Hirschfeld oversaw the transformation of the national police service from a colonial-era institution into a modern and professional organisation respected both locally and internationally. “Having served both in the pre and post-independence era, in the process holding the police fort for 24 years, there is no doubt that Hirschfeld laid a firm foundation for the security sector and the Botswana Police Service we know today,” Mr Mohwasa said.

He highlighted the late commissioner’s achievements in building a police service anchored on integrity and service to the people. “Among his most significant contributions was the full localisation of the police leadership and the historic introduction of women into the service. He oversaw enlistment of the first pioneering cohort of eight women police officers in 1971.

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Today, women serve with distinction across every branch of policing and we have registered the first woman police commissioner, a living testament to his vision,” Mr Mohwasa said. He noted that even after retirement, Hirschfeld continued serving the nation through civic leadership roles, including as chairperson of the Public Service Commission and of the Citizenship Committee, while also serving as a valuable source of knowledge and guidance to future generations. Current Police Commissioner, Ms Dinah Marathe also extolled Hirschfeld’s virtues, saying he demonstrated foresight in guiding the Police Mobile Unit (PMU), the paramilitary unit that later contributed to the establishment of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF).

He also pioneered community policing initiatives, including the Twantsho Burukutlhi crime prevention committees and police choirs. As part of efforts to strengthen public engagement, Hirschfeld introduced the Sepodisi Gompieno (Police Today) radio programme, which laid the foundation for the current police Public Relations Unit, Ms Marathe said. She further noted that, recognising the transnational nature of crime, Hirschfeld played an instrumental role in the formation of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation in 1995, which was later adopted by the Southern African Development Community as a subcommittee.

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