18 Jun 2023

Maitengwe residents have requested government for additional law enforcement officers to beef up the team based at the village helping to fight cross border crime which gives the residents sleepless nights. 

Speaking at a kgotla meeting addressed by Minister of Defence and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi on Thursday, the leader of the delegation that visited the minister’s office in September last year to seek help on escalation of cross border crime, Mr Richard Masundu said many farmers had left their cattle posts and moved their cattle back into the village in fear for their lives. 

Mr Masundu, a Maitengwe resident, said stock theft was more prevalent in their village and the surrounding areas, committed by criminals from across the border. 

He noted that criminals came armed with rifles and used force to take cattle from their owners, adding that one farmer lost 67 cattle at once about two years ago, which were forcefully taken from him and driven across the border fence to the neighbouring country. 

He said although they had reported the matter and even went to locate where those cattle were and the suspect was also identified, it did not bear any results as they were told that the case was being handled by the Zimbabwean police. 

He said the arrangement where stock theft cases were handled outside the country was a disadvantage to farmers as they ended up losing hope and trust on those that are supposed to help them. 

Another resident, Mr Shadrack Balopi also emphasised the need to have additional law enforcement personnel. He requested for the relocation of one of the Special Support Group (SSG) and Botswana Defence Force (BDF) camps from the southern part of village to the northern part as the criminals frequent the area. 

He said most of vehicles and goods stolen from the residents were moved to neigbouring Zimbabwe through ungazzetted points, created by those criminals. Furthermore, he suggested that instead of having pickets placed along the border line, they should have mini SSG and BDF camps to monitor the fence. 

Commenting, Minister Mmusi tasked the SSG superiors to liaise with the community and decide where a new camp could be located. He noted that it was unfortunate that a police station had not been completed on scheduled as it had been planned, noting that already the ministry through Botswana Police Service had 50 police officers awaiting to be deployed to the new station in their village. 

Mr Mmusi said unlike before where KgomoKhumo, an anti-stock theft unit, was deployed on rotational basis across different areas, government had since established a full unit which would be found in almost all police stations in the country. 

Mr Mmusi further said the President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his Zimbabwean counterpart held joint meetings on a number of issues such as cross border crimes between the two nations to come up with long term solution. Ends