Africa-Press – Lesotho. Residents of Sephareng, Bokong village in Thaba-Tseka district are complaining about the high crime rate during the Corona virus epidemic. Local Government Candidate, Bokong Mr Mokoloko Mokoloko explained that within their communities largely animal theft and abuse, be it sexual or assault, have been on the rise.
The procession also indicated that the suspicion was that all of this was due to the fact that most of the people had lost their jobs and, “some ended up leaving the cities where they were holding hands,” he said.
He went on to say that some of these people end up committing crimes which could be the theft of animals as a way of making a living by selling them. He said domestic violence was particularly evident as families were living together for a long time which was one of the things that most people were not used to because most of the time they spent at work.
Mokoloko said they were also concerned that they had not been brought education to their communities about the corona epidemic so that they could be educated on safety issues.
“We only hear on the radio here when we listen to how we have to protect ourselves and it is clear that those who do not have them will not have the knowledge,” he said.
King of the Bokong Ha-Khenene area King Makotoko Khethisa says the biggest challenge he faces during the Covid-19 era is that they do not have the tools for self-defense which could be antiseptic or antiseptics.
“I’m in a lot of trouble when people come to me and their king to report crimes that are going on inside the city as they now come in with anti-virus tools,” he said.
Khethisa said in the case of animal theft they had also applied for protection from the military in conjunction with the police and they had granted their request. He added that ever since the military and the police showed up inside their villages, theft and rapes have shown a dramatic decline.
He said sexual abuse was largely due to alcoholism as fathers were constantly on the verge of alcohol abuse, which in turn eventually led them to abuse women and girls.
One of the residents of Separeng Ms ‘Majubile Lelia explained that the epidemic did not only bring theft and violence within their communities as they also died in houses and children from starvation.
He said he was one of the people who lost his job because of Covid-19 and had to return home. “I am also one of the people who disappeared from the animals, and now they are still missing,” said Lelia.
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