Police plead for calm in Lobatse
Pini Bothoko | Monday June 20, 2022 06:00
The dejected residents blocked roads with stones, burnt tyres, vandalised police vehicles and in the process injured three police officers. On March 18, 2022 Tlotso was reported missing after disappearing without trace. He failed to return home after school.
Then, the police embarked on a massive search with the help of members of the public to no avail. On April 13 this year, the police received a tip off of human remains that were discovered in the bush along the Kanye road. The human remains were taken to the forensic laboratory for DNA tests. According to the Botswana Police Service (BPS) public relations officer, senior superintendent Near Bagali, the DNA results pointed to the missing child but his parents rejected them together with the body remains seeking to conduct their own independent investigations.
“We have allowed them to do so and to date we have not yet received any feedback from them hence pleading with members of the community to allow them to do so without their interference,” Bagali said.
Bagali raised a concern over some members of the public who have been taking advantage of the situation and inciting violence. He further disclosed to have arrested 10 people related to the Monday incident in which four police vehicles were damaged and three police officers injured by the angry mob.
“On Saturday, we received reports of some members of the community to have gathered at the Peleng kgotla calling for the return of the missing child. The police rushed to the kgotla and managed to intervene, calm and disperse them only for them to institute a full-blown strike on Monday afternoon blocking roads with stones and burning tyres. The police tried to intervene but the dejected rioters started assaulting the police, throwing stones at them and leaving three officers injured. Four police vehicles were vandalised, windscreens broken, something that forced the police to engage them because we do not condone such demonstrations,” he said.
Bagali indicated that they were forced to disperse the rioters by force because they were disturbing other people’s movement by blocking the roads. Moreover, Bagali raised a concern about people who have been giving the family the wrong impression that their child is still alive.
“We have gathered information of some people misleading the family that their child is still alive hence behind the riots. We have deployed a number of police officers with the help of the Special Support Group (SSG) and the army to keep an eye on the situation. Those who incite violence will be dealt with. We have arrested 10 suspects and likely to be charged with a number of offences including malicious damage to property,” Bagali said.
He stated that they are not against anything that will help bring back the child for those doubting their findings but the law has to be respected at all times. Furthermore, Bagali explained that they are still holding onto the boy’s remains and if the family could continue rejecting them a decision will be taken on what to do with them.
However, Bagali assured the family that efforts are being made to establish what transpired and caused the little boy’s death stating that they have assembled a team of investigators to carry out more enquiries.