Africa-Press – Botswana. There are no plans to construct a district police station in Hukuntsi.
Tshane Police Station Commander, Superintendent Vusimuzi Jorowe, recently informed the Hukuntsi community that, instead, the village would get a satellite police station.
Supt Jorowe told a kgotla meeting addressed by Kgalagadi North Member of Parliament, Ms Talita Monnakgotla recently, that Tshane Police station would however remain the “District Police” station. He said the other 13 villages would also have their own satellite stations in future, funds permitting.
The residents had earlier on told the MP that they had long pleaded for the construction of a district police station in their village, adding that following the upgrading of Hukuntsi Sub District to a fully-fledged district, they believed they qualified for a district police station.
Supt Jorowe also said that police officers around the constituency were currently housed in Tribal Administration office, which was not conducive, saying that it also hindered them from increasing the number of police officers in those offices.
The Village Development Committee Chairperson, Mr Phodiso Mokgethe in his report said that crime was on the rise in the village, hence the need for a district police station.
Mr Mokgethe also said that they had also requested for the construction of a magistrate court.
He further pleaded for the upgrading of the hospital and demolishing of asbestos clinic and houses as they were a health hazardous.
One of the community elders, Mr Nelson Moncho, implored community members to appreciate what they got in this difficult financial climate.
He expressed the hope that with time, the satellite station might be upgraded and provided with adequate resources, as development planning was an ongoing process.
For her part, Ms Monnakgotla informed the community about the shelving of the NDP 12 and introduction of a two-year Transitional Development Plan (TDP) to accelerate some community projects.
She said through the TDP, the constituency would see construction of tribal offices in Ncaang, Monong and Ngwatle, as well as the construction of labour regional office in Kang.
On other issues, she decried delays in completion of community projects and implored community members to work cordially with public officers to ensure completion of such projects, saying they had the potential to resuscitate the economy of the district by creating job opportunities.
Ms Monnakgotla concurred that the lack of a district police station disadvantaged the village to attract investors, adding that the case rate load in their village was still considered low for it to justify the construction of a magistrate court.
Meanwhile, she said once funds permit, the asbestos clinic and houses would be demolished.
In his remarks, Hukuntsi West Councillor, Mr Kerapetse Jane, encouraged community members to be patient, saying government coffers had been drained by COVID-19, assuring them that once the economy recovered, developments would be distributed as planned.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
