As a result a house in which two constables spend their time off-duty from Lobatse streets has turned into a river flowing with waste material from the blocked drains. "It has been flowing like this for the past three weeks," said an officer who preferred not to be mentioned by name. He said that he has reported the matter to the relevant office - Department of Engineering and Building Services (DEBS) - but they had not shown up.

Her boss Assistant Superintendent Jerry Rabogadi confirmed to Mmegi that DEBS is responsible for the maintenance of police houses. However, he had no knowledge about the stinking house, which accommodates his juniors. "We have never received any report about that house because officers report directly to DEBS. However they have to report to us if assistance to them is delayed," he said. Rabogadi promised to follow up the matter.

Head of DEBS Thabo Masilo denied knowledge of the police officers' stinking house and wondered why the complainant reported his problem in the media. He said that the South Central Region, which covers areas from Otse to some villages along the Botswana border with South Africa, has no truck that collects waste.

"We had borrowed a truck from Gaborone and they took it on Friday prior to the President's Day holidays and we had not finished assisting all applicants. He said the police houses in Peleng were built more than 20 years ago and the ground in which they are constructed is saturated. "We empty the drains but the following day, they are full again because the soil can no longer absorb the water," Masilo explained. He said they had made many requests for a tanker at the head office in Gaborone but no answer has been given. He promised to find out why the police officers could not be assisted.Director of DEBS Jimmy Modise was surprised that the Lobatse depot does not have a tanker to haul waste. He added that the requests from the Lobatse office had not been brought to his attention. Modise promised to investigate the matter immediately.