13 May 2019

Kgosi George Moroka of Moroka village in the North East District has expressed a concern over cross border crime that is dominant in his village.

Speaking in an interview with BOPA, Kgosi Moroka stated that criminals break into houses to steal property and skip the country to the neighbouring Zimbabwe.

The village leader indicated that it was an uphill battle to trace such criminals because the crime involved two countries.

He said the criminals had destroyed the boundary fence between Botswana and Zimbabwe in order to smuggle  the stolen goods.

Kgosi Moroka highlighted that petrol was one of the most smuggled commodity.

He said some Batswana buy fuel in Botswana and transport it to Zimbabwe over the barrier fence.

However, the leader said he was glad this act of petrol dealing had subsided this year because Zimbabwe economy was stabilising and the Zimbabweans can now afford petrol in their own country.

The leader stated that in the past years, they had apprehended a group of youths who were dealing in petrol smuggling and were brought to the customary court and charged.

Kgosi Moroka further stated that Batswana continued to employ foreigners without proper documents, adding that whoever would be caught would face the wrath of the law.

He highlighted that despite the fact that some residents had been charged in the past for harbouring illegal immigrants  people continued to employ them.

He stated that youth unemployment was worrying in Moroka because it resulted in the youth engaging in criminal activities for a quick cash.

On other issues, Kgosi highlighted that they had plans to develop their community hall to install internet through the constituency funds to help keep the youth engaged.

He said for now the community hall was utilised by churches and for beauty pageants.

Kgosi Moroka stated that with the modification of the hall the youth would come up with ideas of how to utilise it.

The leader said the nearby hill would be fenced to turn it into a tourist centre.

The hill carries a rich history with ancient rock paintings, which need to be preserved and protected for future generations, he added.

He indicated that the hill was a common attraction as people gather there for picnics and wedding pictures.ENDS