28 Mar 2022

Botswana Police Service anti-stock theft operation commonly known as Kgomo Khumo is set to return beginning of April.

Briefing councillors during the Southern District Full Council meeting recently, police Deputy Commissioner, Mr Phemelo Ramakorwane confirmed that the operation, which was specifically formulated to curb cattle rustlers would resume operation the next financial year, adding that it was temporarily halted two years ago due to the COVID-19 outbreak as movement was restricted.

“Kgomo Khumo has previously resulted in a massive breakthrough in unearthing cases of stock theft therefore it shall be considered at the forefront of other programmes which we bring to our people to combat crime,” he said.

Mr Ramakorwane highlighted concern on the rising cases of stock theft, adding that such incidents usually involved cattle being ferried to neighbouring countries.

He appealed to councillors to advice their constituents, to always report theft to the police.

Mr Ramakorwana also cautioned farmers to desist from hiring illegal migrants, saying that, in most cases, such people were mostly perpetrators of such crimes as they usually committed such crimes after their contracts had been terminated.

In his update about crime incidents in the Southern District, he said, the area had high cases of armed robbery, adding that 26 cases were registered in 2020 which increased by 4 in 2021.

Mr Ramokorwana indicated that the number of house break-in cases in 2020 stood at 35, while in 2021 it was 64.

He said the number of cases for burglary and theft was worrisome in the district, adding that the cases stood at 29 in 2020, while 33 was recorded in 2021.

“Offences against persons, which include murder, rape and threat to kill are also rampant in the district,” he said.

He indicated that in 2020, 13 cases were registered while 12 were registered in 2021.

“In 2020 cases of threat to kill stood at 140, and there was a decline of 29 in 2021. Under stock theft, 188 cases were recorded in 2020, while they stood at 137 in 2021,” he said.

In that regard, Mr Ramokorwana underscored the need to combat crime and canvas support from the public to assist in the arrest of perpetrators as a way of ensuring that the public live in peace and harmony.

He said in the new financial year 1 000 police vacancies would be filled with the aim of bringing services to the people while digitalization would be  embraced as part of efforts to  combat crime.

He said efforts were underway to introduce and deploy drones for surveillance as part of law enforcement, adding that the move would address issues such as shortage of transport which was currently in dire need in most police stations.

“We are on a mission to implement drones as a way of extending our coverage area and enhancing police visibility at the crime hotspots and borderline,” he said. 

Mr Ramokorwana further shared that the police was concerned about the moral decay displayed by perpetrators of gender based violence and pleaded with councillors to assist in combating such crimes.

He said due to budget constraints, plans to construct police posts in most villages had proved futile, but indicated that construction of the posts had been prioritised in the National Development Plan 12 (NDP12) based on the rate of crime in those areas, adding that Sesung and Digawana had been included in the year 2024/2025 financial year.

He indicated that they had undertaken an initiative to ensure a conducive environment when dealing with GBV issues, amongst them, capacitating officers to competently handle GBV violence cases.

Councillor Ponatshego Tshiping had pleaded that operation Kgomo Khumo had in the past assisted significantly in unearthing and fighting stock theft.

She also decried of shortage of transport in most police stations, adding that this was a major setback as it hampers into the daily execution of police duties.

“Crime rate has gone high, but our experience is that there is more shortage of transport than manpower,” he said. 

ends