Kgatleng raises alarm over policing challenges, crime surge
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday July 2, 2025 06:39
Delivering his address during a full council meeting recently, he revealed that the police-to-population ratio across the district stands at one officer for every 222 residents, with the situation worsening in Mochudi, where one officer serves 293 people.
This alarming figure excludes fast-growing villages like Oodi, Modipane, Mokatse, Matebele, and Leshibitse, which continue to expand without corresponding law enforcement presence.
“Our police service operates at the razor’s edge of effectiveness. The thin blue line is resilient but severely overstretched,” Komane said.
Touching on crime, Komane revealed that the district recorded 170 cases of violent and intrusive crimes from January to March 2025, which were up by 14% as compared to 197 cases in the same period last year.
However, in a sign of improvement, May 2025 saw a 23% decrease in crime compared to the same month in 2024 which he attributed to community policing, intensified patrols, and targeted operations.
He expressed concern over the dominant types of property crimes that include; 67 cases of copper-cable theft of which police made only one arrest, 34 house break-ins with only 10 arrests, 27 store break-ins with seven arrests, 19 burglaries with seven arrests and 19 stock thefts cases with 10 arrests.
Komane further revealed that serious violent crimes also surfaced, including two murders and a single case of threat-to- kill, with four arrests made.
Alarmingly, he said offences against morality remained high, with 28 rape cases and 25 defilement cases, resulting in 15 and 17 arrests respectively. Additionally, there were seven drug-related arrests.
Despite these challenges, Komane commended the police for their effectiveness in some areas, such as stock theft and drug offences, where arrest rates either matched or surpassed reported incidents.
The district also recorded three fatal road accidents, resulting in four deaths.
Meanwhile, he said all 15 reported missing persons during this quarter were found alive except one heartbreaking case of a 36-year-old woman, Thandi Tsheole.
She was reported missing on June 4, 2025, and it ended in sorrow for the family as her lifeless body was discovered on June 20 near Monametsana–Sebonwane cattle post.
Komane further addressed the recent incident in which Mmathubudukwane Police Station was burnt to ashes in the early hours of May 17, 2025.
He revealed that the fire ravaged the entire station, sparing only the detention cells.
“Thankfully, no one was injured. A 38-year-old male suspect from Mmathubudukwane has been arrested, and investigations are ongoing. “This was a devastating blow to law enforcement capacity in the area,” Komane stated, calling for urgent support to rebuild the station and restore services.
Furthermore, he appealed to council stakeholders to support policing efforts by making available idle institutional vehicles particularly over weekends to help patrol high-crime zones more effectively.
“Security is everyone’s responsibility. With your support, we can bolster patrols, deter crime, and ensure our communities remain safe,” Komane said.