13 Mar 2019

“Operation Nde Dze Bathu,” a mini version of KgomoKhumo is making positive strides in the fight against stocktheft and cross-border cattle rustling in the northern region.

Station commander of Kutlwano Police Station Superintendent Neo Serumola said in an interview that recently 16 cattle rustlers were arrested after they were found in possession of suspected stolen cattle and appeared in court to face charges of stock theft, explaining that the arrests were made possible through the support of the community.

“If we hit a blank at the butchery, we go to the owner’s yard,” said the station commander.

He said Nde Dze Bathu is a Kalanga phrase for ‘they (cattle) belong to the people’ and that the operation targets cattle rustlers.

On other issues, Superintendent Serumola said the police were looking for a man who allergedly attempted to rape a 32-year-old woman at Selepa location in Francistown.

He said the man allegedly entered the house using the main door, which the police suspect was not locked’ and went to the woman’s bedroom, where he threatened the woman at knifepoint.

The woman however managed to make a breakthrough and ran outside the house to alert neighbours, but to no avail.

Superintendent Serumola said the man also attempted to get away with a television set, but failed because it was heavy, but managed to snatch the woman’s cellphone worth close to P3 500.

In another incident, Superintendent Serumola explained that the police were investigating a case in which two female students of Botho University aged 19 and 20 were attacked by some criminals who stole their cellphones at knifepoint at a bush near Adansonia Hotel.

He said one of the students was stabbed on the hand and the other one at the back with a sharp instrument, which the police believe was a knife, before the criminals disappeared into the bush.

 At the time of going to press, the student who was stabbed at the back was still hospitalised at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital while the other one was treated and discharged the same day. Police investigations continue. ENDS