A crime wave hits Seshego

BURGLARIES, muggings, underage drinking, peddling of illegal substances: all these sum up the new crime wave that has hit the close-knit community of third house, Seshego Zone 2.

Last week, the disgruntled community said they had lost confidence in the police service, and ahead of the weekend, an impromptu meeting was held at Tsotsometsa Primary School.

At the meeting, the angry community told the Seshego police station commander, Brig Samuel Mokgonyana, that they had had enough of crime in their neighbourhood.

Mokgonyana was bombarded with a flurry of complaints from disgruntled residents.

Ronnie Lebese complained that when he reported a burglary at his house, where two TV sets and cellular phones were stolen, he was told that there were no police vehicles available to be dispatched to the crime scene.

Troy Mphahlele said when burglars broke into her house, the police official who responded to the call asked her who she was staying with.

Mphahlele said when she told the police official that she lived alone, he told her that the criminals would come back to steal again.

“I have had enough of these criminals. I have now applied for a firearm thanks to the police’s gross ineptitude. I have taken this drastic decision to protect my property because clearly the police can’t,” she explained furiously.

Titus Mocheke, community leader and chair of the gathering, called on everyone to work together to root out crime in the neighbourhood.

“Criminals and law-abiding residents cannot cohabit in our community. We all know who these criminals are. Now is the time to rid our neighbourhood of them,” Mocheke said.

Residents also told the police at which café and tavern the alleged gangsters responsible for this crime wave are often seen. “We see them doing drugs and getting drunk,” one resident said.

Mokgonyana promised that the group would be disbanded and that the tavern involved would be shut down.

“I am sending a stern message to these criminals that we are hot on their heels. We are going to beef up our policing units to catch these criminals. From now on, there will be about six to eight vehicles patrolling this area. I am also calling upon everyone who has a grievance with the police to come to my office or call me directly,” he said.

Speaking to CV yesterday (Tuesday), Seshego police spokesperson, WO Mothemane Malefo said the situation was being monitored, with special focus on the tavern. He said patrols had been intensified.

“The brigadier is still waiting for anyone to come forward with information or complaints. He furnished residents with his cell phone number for this purpose, and gave his word that residents’ information would be safe with him,” Malefo explained.

He said the police were also perusing all the existing cases for this area, in order to ensure everything that could be done had been done.

“We will be meeting with the community again on September 7,” he said.