Botswana Police Commissioner Thebeyame Tsimako has commended residents of Moshupa in their efforts to fight crime.
Speaking during a short visit to the village to donate a cheque of P10, 000 for the construction of a new shelter at the main Kgotla, Tsimako applauded the residents for coming up with crime prevention initiatives tailored for their area.
He said he was pleased to learn that Headmen of Records in Moshupa and its catchment area were passionately spearheading the activities of Cluster Committees by forming patrol teams that regularly question and search suspicious persons and confiscate any stolen property or unlawful weapons in their possession.
Tsimako said the village’s formulation of a ‘Standing Order’ that made it compulsory for shebeens to close at 1900hrs was welcome, saying their innovative strategies significantly reduced levels of armed robberies, break-ins, store breaking and theft. He urged the villagers to share their best practice with other villages.
He, however, discouraged them from buying stolen goods from criminals as that did not only create a market for stolen goods, but also worsen crime.
He was also worried by the increasing incidents of stock theft in Moshupa and its periphery and encouraged the residents to ensure that the phenomenon did not reverse their otherwise good work on fighting crime.
The Acting Chief of Moshupa, Mr. Oscar Mosielele, said he was happy with the level of cooperation between his leadership and the Moshupa Police. He encouraged the Police to form crime prevention committees in each ward to enable effective public participation in crime prevention. He, however, said for this to be realized, the Police should always update them with crime statistics.
On issues of passion killing, Mosielele said parents should discourage their children from cohabiting as that results in murders when the relationship breaks.
Commenting after receiving a P10, 000 cheque donation from the Commissioner of Police, Mosielele thanked the Commissioner for the contribution saying it would make them realize their dream of having a bigger shelter expected to have conference facilities.
The Commissioner, however, said his office realized that Moshupa had outgrown the existing shelter and felt that the village required a bigger structure that can cater for current and future needs.
Appeal for donations during the Commissioner’s previous visit to the village main Kgotla initiated such contribution from Police Headquarters.
