28 May 2019

Funds have been availed to build a police post at Tsau village in the North West District, the Minister for Defence, Justice and Security Mr Shaw Kgathi has said.

  Minister Kgathi revealed this during a kgotla meeting in Tsau on Monday explaining that the the project is expected to commence in June/July this year. 

    He said the move would enable the residents to get services close by since they had hitherto been relying on Sehithwa and Gumare police stations.

The police post, he said, would have about five police officers with an office for the commander, reception and a secluded office for taking statements from complainants.

Mr Kgathi said once the post was fully operational, Tsau residents would no longer have to travel up to 100 kms for police services, which negatively impacted on emergency situations.

On other matters, Minister Kgathi briefed Tsau residents on the amendment of the Stock Theft Act to increase penalties from five to 12 years for first offenders and 15 years for repeat offenders.

The amendment gaves the courts powers to repossess offenders’ goods to be sold to compensate complainants, he explained.

Mr Kgathi said the ‘Kgomo Khumo’ initiative would soon be implemented in the  district, adding that the intention was to totally uproot stock theft.

The ministry, he said, had trained police officers and addressed some of their challenges such as conditions of service.

Mr Kgathi further said the ministry stood ready to take to task security companies which  exploited employees by among others, avoiding to pay gratuity by dismissing workers before reaching five years at work.

Some security companies failed to provide employees with protective clothing, he pointed out adding that offenders would have their licences revoked.

A resident, Mr Allen Sokwe expressed appreciation for the police post as well as for the ‘Kgomo Khumo’ initiative which was eagerly awaited.

He said stock theft was rife in Tsau explaining that while some animals were stolen live, others were sold as meat to catering businesses.

Giving an update, the Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson Ms Keeng Kealeboga said a plot had already secured for the police post.

Ms Kealeboga requested for at least two male officers, who could  handle hard core criminals and a police officer at inspector level. ends