Area L residents told Mmegi that they are fed up with the thieves who are giving them sleepless nights. One of the residents, Pinkie Maleso of Pinkie Day Care Centre, says on many occasions, the thieves have broken into her business and stole goods. "Since the SSG vacated this place, we have never had peace. These Zimbabweans have found accommodation there and they come here at night to steal our belongings.

Even during the day should they realise that there is nobody in the house, they break in and steal." Maleso added that she has resorted to keeping some of her business properties in her house because of the thugs. She said secondary school students in Area L used to ask for permission to use her business premises for evening studies but now they cannot do this because it is risky. She lamented that their plea to the authorities about the thieves have fallen on deaf ears. Another resident, Fridah Mangole, said she has lost count of how many radio and television sets she has had to buy after the thieves raided her place repeatedly. "I have given up.

"These Zimbabweans are not giving us space to breath," she said. She is just about to embark on a project of rearing guinea fowls but she is worried by the high crime level. She said since the SSG relocated to Tonota, illegal immigrants are doing as they please in Area L.

"At times I wonder if they spray us with chemicals so that we fall in deep sleep because you would only wake up to find the house empty." Mangole added that they are becoming hesitant to report because they fear the thieves may come at night and burn their houses. Another resident, Derrick Nkobela, said though they have never attacked his place, he is aware of the criminals in the area. He urged his neighbours to assist the police arrest the thugs.

Dineo Makosana said that sometimes the illegal immigrants put bells around their necks to disguise themselves as cattle. She admitted that though neighbourhood watch meetings are usually held in the area, she has never attended them.

Francistown deputy mayor, Rebecca Nshakashokwe, a resident of Area L said that though the area has been hit by crime, the situation is better compared to other locations like Donga and Monarch. She stated that she has spearheaded some anti-crime initiatives like the neighbourhood watch and to some extent, this has proved a success.

She said she has long proposed that the abandoned SSG building be renovated and leased to Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) or be given to the youth for development projects. She said the building could even be allocated to the many people who are in dire need of plots to develop into homes or business centres.

Assistant Superintendent Nelson Phuka of Central Police Station dismissed the allegations that they have been reluctant to resolve the crime situation in Area L. "Those people are just blowing a story out of proportion.

There is no particular place that you can pinpoint and say thieves are stationed there. They are all over the town and as the police, we are doing everything within our power to combat crime." Phuka told Mmegi that they have vehicle and foot patrols all over town. He said that cellphone theft in Area L has declined since they started 24-hour patrols.

He encouraged residents to join neighbourhood watch patrols and inform the police on anything suspicious.