17 Jan 2019

Traditional leadership in Mmopane in the Kweneng District has sounded an alarm that the village is besieged with social ills, chief among them being criminal activities such robberies as well as renting houses to illegal immigrants.

In an interview recently, the village chief, Kgosi Simon Manthe, who took the reins from his father who retired two years ago, said he was saddened by the fact that Mmopane is gradually turning into a convenient haven for criminals.

He said during the night, criminals steal from Gaborone and surrounding areas and hide their loot in their rented houses in Mmopane.

He noted with regret that though the tribal leadership and the police have, on numerous occasions, embarked on campaigns to educate and inform residents against renting houses to illegal immigrants, who are usually not working and rather stay home most of the time but religiously pay rent, to desist from that, nothing is changing.

He wondered how one could be able to dutifully pay monthly rental if he is not working, noting that some go to extent of paying six months’ rent in advance, an indication that such characters have a hidden agenda, which is orchestrated under the cover of darkness.

He said in such scenarios, the landlords should surely be able to smell a rat.

Kgosi Manthe noted that the population of Mmopane is ever growing in consonance with incidents of crime, but sadly the police in the village were under resourced as there is only one female sub-inspector, four female sergeants, while the rest are female special constables.

He said the police are hampered to effectively make routine patrols as they do not have enough manpower and therefore appealed for more police officers to be deployed to his village, adding that since the village falls under the supervision of Sir Seretse Khama Airport Police, the latter is unable to assist them efficiently because they are inundated with receiving visiting VIPs and other security duties.

Kgosi Manthe further said the village needs total commitment and resolute determination for it to be transformed from its current state.

To add salt to the injury, he said there is a cartel of illegal sand miners, leaving the Metsimotlhabe River in bad ecological shape.

He affirmed that the Department of Mines, in conjunction with the police, should make regular raids at the river to arrest those in the habit of illegally trading in sand.

Kgosi Manthe called for the opening of a porta camp for the police as they are currently cramped in one office and therefore cannot effectively assist their customers.

The porta camp was initially scheduled to be operational last September.

On other issues, he said there was a need to build a clinic with a maternity wing, noting that part of the current clinic structure has been abandoned because it is in a state of disrepair after being ravaged by marauding termites.

A new plot has since been identified for a clinic, he said.

He further said loud music from numerous village bars is a common occurrence, which is not abating though owners have been warned against the practice as it disturbs the peace and tranquility of the village.

Regarding developments, Kgosi Manthe said the village needed four tower lights in the cardinal points to curtail incidents of crime at night.

He also called for the construction of internal roads as well as installation of street lights.

With regard to education, he said a junior secondary school should be constructed as it will also cater for nearby Mmatseta village.

For his part, headman of records, Kgosi Babedi Manthe said livestock theft cases were still rampant around Mmopane.

He said recently three men from Kgatleng District were arraigned before his court to answer charges of killing three cows, two of which were pregnant.

He said the three accused with some having previous pending charges, are remanded.

He said they have asked the court to transfer their case to magistrate court, something which hampers speedy disposal of livestock theft cases.

Their request has been forwarded to Customary Court of Appeal for further advice, he said. ENDS