24 Aug 2021

Serowe Sub-district Council chairperson, Mr Lesedi Phuthego, says the sub-district continues to record a high number of various crimes.

Officially opening the sub-council session on Monday, Mr Phuthego said law enforcement agencies were working tirelessly to combat such hideous acts.

He said in the last quarter, the Botswana Police Service recorded 224 offences that included 128 cases of theft, 12 stock theft, 34 rape and two murder cases.

Mr Phuthego said during the same period, 629 COVID-19 related offenses were also recorded including among others, 275 cases of those not wearing masks, 38 for breaking curfew rules, 149 cases of unlawful gathering and 25 for selling traditional beer when it was unlawful to do so.

Such behaviour, he said, increased in the spread of the virus and appealed to councillors to caution the public against breaking the rules.

Mr Phuthego pleaded with the public to accept that times had changed but that did not equate to undermining culture and tradition.

He said embracing set protocols and encouraging each other to do the needful would help defeat COVID-19.

He said there were some developments taking place to improve health services and those included remedial measures for roof leakages at Sekgoma Memorial Hospital and the Institute of Health Sciences (HIS) Serowe, the latter at 100 per cent complete and on defects liability period.

Progress for the Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Centre at Old Sekgoma, he said, stood at three per cent against the planned eight per cent.

The project is being carried out by Pre-Con Construction at a contract sum of P44 160 591.

Mr Phuthego said drug availability for vital, essential and non- essential drugs had not improved due to inadequate stock from CMS, unavailability of funds for micro -procurement as well as inefficient supply and delivery from private suppliers.

On other issues, he said the Department of Social and Community Development continued to record a sharp increase in the number of cases involving children, adding that it had 98 cases of sexual offenses against children while also facilitating court proceedings of other cases such as rape, adoption, juvenile delinquency, child custody, common nuisance, suicide, Gender Based Violence and child abandonment among others.

He said the department came up with interventions that included provision of psycho social support for survivors and perpetrators, to help them cope.

He said criminal cases were referred to the police, for the law to take its course. Ends