Africa-Press – Botswana. Despite being gutted down by a raging inferno on Friday, Mmathubudukwane Police Station has restored some of its services.
Speaking after a tour of the station by the Minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa yesterday, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Solomon Mantswe assured Mmathubudukwane and nearby villages’ residents that services such as the community service, certification of documents and traffic division had been restored and were fully operational. Phone lines have also been restored with an additional line.
Mr Mantswe estimated the costs of the damage to run into millions as nothing, neither computers nor hard copy documents had been salvaged. He described the incident as a devastating blow to the police station, which was officially opened in August 2019. He said given the country’s current financial situation and the fact that developments followed National Development Plans, it might take time for the facility to be reconstructed.
Mr Mantswe said investigations on the cause of the fire started on Saturday morning and the outcomes would be shared with members of the public in due course. However, minister Mr Mohwasa said government was disturbed by the fire, which gutted the facility’s fire station, stressing that, should it be a case of arson, the culprit should face the wrath of the law.
He said given the magnitude of the loss, where the entire building safe for the cells and armoury had been destroyed, called for strict application of the law to send a message to would-be arsonists. Mr Mohwasa expressed disappointment that the station was gutted by fire at a time when the country was faced with financial distress.
He was however confidence in the Botswana Police’s ability to probe the cause of the Friday night inferno. The fire started in one office and spread quickly to the rest of the building, but the cells and the armoury were spared, thanks to the concrete roofs.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
