26 Jun 2023

Phase VI residents in Monarch have decried the increasing rate of criminal activities in their area.

Speaking during a during a kgotla meeting addressed by Francistown West MP, Mr Ignatius Moswaane on Friday, Phase VI Ward Development Committee (WDC) chairperson, Mr Batshegi Kgari said criminal activities such as house break-ins, stocktheft and robbery were on the rise.

The chairperson warned residents to be extra vigilant at all times to avoid being victims, saying lack of streetlights was one of the factors that led to such crimes.

He also cautioned residents to refrain from buying stolen goods as they could find themselves in trouble with the law.

By so doing, he said residents were creating a lucrative market for stolen goods, something which promoted criminal activities in the area. One of the residents, Mr Fastudo Armando added that criminals had even gone to the extent of attacking and robbing people in broad day light.

He said by midnight the situation got worse as criminals used darkness to their advantage.

Mr Armando said criminals also used abandoned houses and undeveloped plots as their safe haven to avoid being noticed.

For his part, Monarch North councillor, Mr Almando Gopolang said cable theft was on the rise in Monarch which had cost Botswana Power Corporation  over P8 million for replacement and maintenance.

He attributed the darkness in most parts of Monarch to cable theft, adding that Francistown City Council would install solar powered streetlights in order to address the problem.

For his part, Mr Moswaane suggested that Ipelegeng programme should be reviewed as it had been overtaken by events.

He informed the meeting that wages for the programme, which was also the only source of employment in most parts of the country, were very low. 

On other issues, the MP appealed to residents to guard against corrupt practices on government projects.He said he suspected that the youth incubation centre at Area L might have been riddled with corruption as the project was constructed beyond the stipulated time and budget. 

Initially, he said the centre was to cost government P2 million with 20 units but in the end, it cost P2 million with only six units. ENDS