25 Mar 2019

Employees of Lobatse Botswana Prison Services, Lobatse Town Council and Lobatse Brigade  held a campaign on March 23 to sensitise the public about keeping the environment clean.

Personnel from the three organisations picked litter and garbage in the area covering Peleng traffic lights, bus rank, Lobatse police station, and Disukiring. 

Some members of the public joined in the litter and garbage picking activity which was held under the theme: Clean Lobatse.

Officer in charge of Lobatse prison, senior superintendent Babedi Mosimanegape explained that the objective was to clean the area, which was among the busiest places in the Lobatse. He said the event was part of their community service programme. 

“The response to the campaign was positive from the public. We engaged the office of the deputy district commissioner and community leaders, which helped to make the campaign successful. I can now urge the public to maintain cleanliness in this area and also keep their surroundings clean,” Supt. Mosimanegape said.

Lobatse Town Council’s chief public health officer, Mr Desmond Tshotelo said they were concerned that the town had fallen behind in terms of cleanliness compared to other places. 

Mr Tshotelo, therefore, said their aim was to make Lobatse be among the cleanest places in the country like it was in the past.

“The campaign today targeted public places, which are hotspots, the ones, which are very dirty. We decided to start with these areas and the intention is to turn Lobatse into a clean place by the end of this year,” he said.

He pointed out that the council intends to conduct monthly clean-up campaigns in the town, and also urged other government departments, ward development committees, the public, and other stakeholders to participate in making the town clean. 

Mr Tshotelo said from the positive initial response by members of the public, he was confident that the objective to make Lobatse clean would be achieved.

Speaking at the event, Pastor Photsana Gasennelwe of Pentecostal Protestant Church in Peleng, commended the three organisations for the initiative to sensitise the community of Lobatse about cleanliness. 

“It is not good for our town and the entire country when the bus rank is dirty in Lobatse because it is one of the places visitors pass through when they arrive in this country from South Africa,” he said. ENDS