13 Sep 2023

Government spends a lot of money on maintenance of veterinary cordon fences, says the Acting President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane.

Mr Tsogwane who was addressing Kgotla meetings in Mopipi and Toromoja on Tuesday, condemned the high rate of vandalism of such fences, warning those doing so  to stop. 

Such behaviour, he said thwarted government’s efforts of improving the lives of Batswana particularly through the agricultural sector.

“Sometimes we do things that in the long run come back to haunt us, it is time we change. Vandalism of cordon fences is one of the factors that aid cattle rustlers to do their job with ease. We should, as people of Boteti, develop a culture of taking good care of things intended to better our lives,” he said.

Furthermore, Mr Tsogwane, who is also Member of Parliament for Boteti West told his constituents that COVID-19 impacted negatively on the country's economy, adding there was shortage of funds for projects.

He emphasised the need to desist from ills such as destruction of cordon fences since maintenance of such was costly.

On a related matter, the acting President urged Boteti residents to avoid withdrawal of reported stock theft cases. This followed complaints by many about the rampant stock theft in Boteti West.

He said often times people reported missing cattle to the police, but when the culprits got caught, cattle owners tended to then approach the police again to withdraw such cases, something that he said impeded police efforts to curb stock theft in the area.

Mr Tsogwane highlighted that government had intensified efforts in the fight against stock theft. He said anti-stock theft teams comprising the police had been dispatched across the country to monitor and control the situation.

Officer commanding, district number 8 of the Botswana Police Service, Senior Superintendent Nkwebi Chilisa concured with the acting President on the issue of withdrawal of reported stock theft cases. 

He said usually those who withdrew cases were relatives or friends of the culprits hence they decided to settle matters out of courts.

The police chief encouraged members of the community to work closely  with anti-stock theft teams in their respective villages for the attainment of intended purpose, being to curb stock theft.

One of the residents in Mopipi, Mr Ndzimuyapo Tshekisa suggested that cases of stock theft be tried at customary courts because the current system seemed lenient on thieves.

Meanwhile, Boteti acting district agricultural coordinator, Dr Ofana Mahubaneng appealed to government to assist the department of veterinary services in Boteti with resources such as vehicles. He said the district was broad and was faced with challenges of shortage of transport.

The shortage, he said, impeded efforts by scientific officers to promptly and efficiently deliver services to farmers. Ends