09 Apr 2015

Pedestrian passages do not pose any form of security threat, Parliament has been told.

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso, said the passages were provided as part of urban design/city planning to facilitate convenience of movement of pedestrians such that they would not not take long routes around residential neighbourhoods or cause pedestrian/vehicular traffic conflict.

She said this was important for Gaborone because pedestrians form the majority of the residents. Furthermore, she said passages are provided in city planning as means to facilitate safety within neighbourhoods through passive surveillance.

Ms Tshireletso said research and statistics have shown that crime happens in secluded areas, hence it has been found necessary to design the city in such a manner that anytime, there are more eyes available to sound an alert in the event of mugging or house break-in.

She further told Parliament that her ministry does not allow closure of planned pedestrian access passages even if residents of a given neighbourhood or cluster collectively agree on its closure.

This, she said is primarily due to the fact that the passages are not necessarily meant for the sole use of the cluster or neighbourhood but for the wider pedestrian populace in the city, including some instances for use as servitude for services.

She was answering Gaborone North MP, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa, who had asked her if she was aware that passages in Gaborone are a security threat.

He also wanted to know if the ministry was aware that the local authority continues to deny residents permission to close such dangerous passages despite residents collectively agreeing to the closure. ENDS