29 Feb 2016

Moshupa Police Station Commander Supt Onneetse Gagogosha says they experienced a decline in crime rate in his policing area during the year 2015 due to numerous strategies deployed by the police in Moshupa Sub district. 

Speaking during Moshupa Sub district full council meeting recently, Supt Gagogosha said their mandate is to reduce violent and intrusive crimes such as corporate offences, burglary, murder, rape, illegal mining of sand, among others by six per cent, a goal they have set for themselves in their policing area.

He said that they have put measures in place to control crime in the sub- district by engaging community policing strategies like house-to-house campaign, clearance of illegal immigrants, arrest of illegal traders of alcohol and drugs, public education at wards, kgotla meetings and deployment of police volunteers with police officers on day and night shifts as well as increasing police visibility throughout the Sub-district.

 “Currently we have a total number of 158 active volunteers who patrol their respective wards in the company of police officers spreading the gospel of neighborhood watch,” he said.

According to Supt Gagogosha, rape is a major concern in the district as 13 out of 29 rape cases in 2015 were committed between October and December only. 

He noted that though rape arises from various reasons, in most instances it is due to the fact that young females walk and roam around unaccompanied during odd hours of the night thus putting their lives at high risk to fall prey to rapists, robberies and murderers.

Supt Gagogosha said that they are concerned with livestock negligence in the district. He explained that farmers do not brand their cattle and that gives criminals a chance to brand and own stolen livestock thus making it difficult to convict such criminals. 

Supt Gagogosha further said that farmers who have kraals near their villages tend to leave their small stock susceptible to thieves. 

He advised that herd boys be hired and paid well to avoid issues and suspicions that they are the very perpetrators stealing livestock.

On other issues regarding traffic, Mr Gagogosha said that road accidents in the sub district are a major concern as the number of accidents in 2015 has increased with 31 cases from 97 cases in 2014 and so far four lives were lost. 

In order to combat road accidents and traffic offences, he noted that they rely on conveying road safety messages to their communities, deployment of road traffic officers at A10 highway and mounting  speed traps to deter motorists from over speeding.

Supt Gagogosha said they are trying to handle cases accordingly despite the scarce resources which include human noting  that such would not frustrate their efforts to combat crime.

Meanwhile Kgosi Oscar Mosielele advised the police and government departments to work expeditiously with the community and its leadership in order to achieve meaningful results. 

He noted that this could make their job easier as working together yields better results. Kgosi Mosielele also requested relevant authorities to strike a balance between customary and civil law in order to resolve issues that are parallel with each other. Ends