02 Mar 2021

Members of the public, especially small business operators, have been advised to be extra vigilant when dealing with people claiming to be council officials. 

In an interview yesterday,  Gaborone City Council (GCC)public relations officer Ms Segametsi Kebonang said the organisation had noted with concern that some individuals masqueraded as bye-law enforcement officers and  swindled people out of their hard-earned cash and goods. 

She said the crooks capitalised on fears and hardships stemming from COVID-19 to manipulate vulnerable and unsuspecting members of the public. 

 “It is disheartening for business people to lose their money and goods to people who claim to be law enforcement officers,” she noted 

Ms Kebonang said to the public as well as the business community should always demand bye-law enforcement identity cards from council officers. 

She explained that bye-law enforcement officers were always assigned in pairs and were expected to produce valid work identity cards bearing their pictures to clients. 

In cases where such officers failed to produce identity cards, the public should not accept any fines or confiscation of their goods, she said. 

She further clarified that in the event a person was found to have contravened a bye-law, no money should be collected from the offender but only a charge sheet issued. 

The offender should only pay the fine at the council revenue office and not on the street, stressed Ms Kebonang. 

Regarding confiscation of goods, she said the business person must make sure that a record of the seized articles was prepared and signed by both parties.

The concerned business person should have a copy of the record, Ms Kebonang said. Ends