19 Jan 2016

Residents of Sehithwa have decried the involvement of some public servants in illegal fishing activities at Lake Ngami. They expressed their disappointment during a kgotla meeting addressed by the area MP, Mr Thato Kwerepe recently.

They alleged that some public servants such as police and wildlife officers were implicated in illegal fishing activities. The residents called for the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security to intervene in the matter.

The Village Development Committee chairperson, Ms Maletelo Molatlhiwa, said since  some police officers were involved, the battle against illegal fishing at Lake Ngami could not be won. The VDC chairperson said it was disturbing to see law enforcement officers being involved in criminal activities while their mandate was to protect the communities and their properties.

She said the police had stopped patrolling the lake hence escalation of illegal fishing incidents. However, Ms Molatlhiwa said some wildlife officers were making efforts to patrol the lake. On other issues, the VDC chairperson called on the government to increase Ipelegeng quota in Sehithwa and peripheral villages. Ms Molatlhiwa said some people could not make ends meet because they lost their cattle due to drought.

For his part, Kgosi Boitiro Dithapo of Sehithwa pointed out that the drought situation in the village needed an urgent attention noting that the number of cattle that were dying was increasing rapidly. He appreciated government’s assistance to subsidise livestock feed, but indicated that residents were unable to buy the feed because they were financially crippled due to lack of beef market.

Kgosi Dithapo wished government could do more to assist the communities to rectify the situation at hand noting that they would end up in poverty despite the wealth they have. Nonetheless, Mr Kwerepe said it was disappointing to learn that law enforcement officers were implicated in illegal fishing. He said the matter was considered as a serious crime.

“I was informed that one police officer who was involved had been transferred to Tutume”. The area MP said some officers connived with residents to commit the crime and urged the community to obey the law and refrain from illegal activities.

He said the suspension of fishing was not meant to punish them but to allow the relevant authorities to address the challenges at the lake. He said, despite the decision to suspend fishing, it had come to his attention that illegal fishing continued at the lake and some drowning incidents were recorded.

Mr Kwerepe advised and encouraged the residents to take care of the resource that lies in the area so that the young generation could utilise it in future. BOPA