17 May 2018

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi has urged parents to warn their children about the consequences of cyber crime.

Dr Venson-Moitoi said this when addressing residents of Serowe as part of her ongoing constituency meetings. She said Parliament has resolved to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, the Cybercrime and Computer Related Crimes Act.

Dr Venson-Moitoi said government was concerned at the rate at which people were violating others through social media platforms. “Cellphones and computers have been introduced to us so as to develop us and make it easier to communicate and perform our functions well, not to invade other people’s right,” she said. She said such offenders woud be fined not exceeding P20 000 or one year in prison or both.

Furthermore, she noted that the charges varied depending on the seriousness of the offence.Dr Venson-Moitoi also noted that the act also included penalties for persons who willfully, maliciously or repeatedly use cellphones to harass others, and making threats in order to instill fear on others.

She warned that government was concerned about the growing cases where people disclosed and published private sexual photographs and videos without the consent of such persons, adding that such actions have led to victims attempting suicide, and that it has destroyed families.

Dr Venson-Moitoi also informed residents that Parliament has made amendments to the Matimela Act with the aim to manage matimela and remove obsolete provisions in order to modernise it. She said the act now provides that matimela may not be claimed after 4:30 pm on the day before the sale. She encouraged farmers to ensure that they claimed their livestock a day before the auction as they would be unable to claim them on the day of the sale. She also indicated that the act made provisions for matimela officers to destroy animals that suffered from contagious diseases, posed danger to human life or other animals.

She, however, noted that such actions would be done in the presence of an official from the Ministry of Agricultural Production and Food Security. “The clause further provides that the matimela officer who has destroyed an animal found to be wild and roaming shall notify the owner of such an animal,” she said. Dr Venson-Moitoi also thanked residents for their efforts in bidding former president, Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama farewell.

Kgosi Ditlhabi Mangope of Motshwana kgotla said they were concerned about lack of developments in their area.

He said developments were provided at a slow pace in their ward, and he called on government to consider paving some roads in their ward. He also decried the lack of payment for Ipelegeng and community policing employees, adding that such actions discouraged and affected their motivation and dedication to service.

Kgosi Mangope also said the enrolment of workers into the Ipelegeng programme was low, and pleaded with the minister to consider increasing the number of employees. Ends