15 Apr 2020

Police in Bobonong have arrested and charged nine Matshekge Hill Senior School staff members for illegal gathering after organising a party.

Bobonong Police station commander, Superintendent Paul Seoko said, ‘Surprisingly, these are the people who should be helping us communicate government messages and efforts of fighting COVID-19 to the general public, but they are in the frontline trampling upon the State of Public Emergency regulations’.

On other alcohol related cases, Supt Seoko revealed that they had charged 17 shebeen operators under Section 21 of the State of Emergency for concocting traditional brews, adding that they also had three cases of selling tobacco and cigarettes.

However, Supt Seoko expressed total compliance by bar operators, saying they had been complaint from the word go.

He said the police concerted efforts with other law enforcement agencies had uncovered that bars were fully closed.

The station commander said since the enforcement of the State Public Emergency regulations, they had arrested and charged 45 people in contravention of Section 7 of the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) regulations of 2020.

Mr Seoko found that the people were loitering the streets aimlessly and were charged between P200 and P1 000.

In other cases, Supt Seoko said they had 11 cases of people travelling between villages without permits.

Majority of these people, he said, intended to buy commodities in Bobonong as a major village with shops.

To such people, he advised that they acquire permits from village leadership before travelling to evade arrests and subsequent charges.

Also, Mr Seoko further said they had eight cases of illegal immigrants who had been working for Batswana prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. Ends