Two people died in Tlokweng over the Independence holiday as road accidents and drunken fights continue to claim lives, The Telegraph has learnt.
Tlokweng Police Station Assistant Superintendent, Mogotsi Thelo, confirmed the two deaths.
The first involved a 63-year-old man from Sefoko Ward who died on Friday after being knocked down by a hit-and-run driver. Both the identity and make of the vehicle, which tore off along the Tlokweng-Zeerust road after the impact, remain unknown to police.
Thelo confirmed that the incident occurred around 8 p.m. as the victim attempted to cross the highway, one of the busiest used both by cross border heavy duty travelers and village residents.
 
In the second incident, a 23-year-old man died in hospital two days after a similarly aged colleague stabbed him with a sharp instrument. Police have remanded the culprit in custody as they continue investigations.
Thelo confirmed the deaths occurred despite intensified police patrols in the Tlokweng area during the holiday revelry. But overall, he divulged that criminal offences and traffic violations had dropped this year compared to the corresponding holiday period last year.
“This is due to the good working relationship between the police and the community and through cluster policing and patrols,” said Thelo. As a result, too, fewer house break-ins were reported.
Thelo, however, noted there was an increase in violence at the liquor outlets in Tlokweng, some of which operate without trading licences. He said set against the village’s growing population, this has the potential to cause police major problems.
“We have a shortage of resources generally but we are doing the best we can to protect society as the crime rate increases,” he said, and appealed to the community to cooperate with the police in order to fight crime.
