Crime rocks 'landlocked' Area S

ISAAC PINIELO
Correspondent | Friday January 22, 2010 00:00

Being one of Francistown's oldest and tiniest townships, Area S is landlocked between the BDF camp, prisons camp, Ntshe and Tati rivers, which are situated on the north-western side of the city. It takes a sane, few minutes drive from the city centre to reach this area.

The first thing that strikes you as you branch off to the north of the intersection before the bridge to Bluetown are the huge dilapidated walls that make up the perimetres of the Francistown stadium.

Before proceeding further north, you will probably notice the high-cordon fence surrounding the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) camp on the right-hand side. The fence runs parallel with the stadium only to be stopped by a gaping culvert that sneaks beneath the road up to the Tati River. Immediately after the culvert on the left-hand side, there is a church building that sets the beginning of houses from both sides of the road.

On the far north there is a shopping complex with two bars, two butcheries, a mini-supermarket shop, a phone shop and a number of tuck shops. There is also a small building, which is used as a clinic for this area. At this clinic you can only find a nurse and an assistant, and a cleaner. But will never find a doctor at this clinic.

The shopping complex has been positioned strategically at the mouth of the footbridge, which links the area with Monarch.

Most people, who stay near across the bridge in Monarch, do their shopping in Area 'S'.

Some trespass through the area on their way to the Light Industrial Area. The other thing that makes this small location known is the stadium, which is normally the venue for most local events like football matches, Independence celebrations, New Year's celebration and many more.

This is also the place where you will find the infamous Guta Ra Mwari Church. There is also a building, which was meant to be the kindergarten. The building was built on a land, which was once a football playing field for the local team.

The team has since collapsed after the ground was taken from them. This once brewed controversy as the youth complained about the forfeiture of the land. They indicated that they were robbed of the only recreation facility that they had in the area and thereby driving them to alcoholism and drug abuse.

Most people confuse 'Area 'S' location' with the 'Area 'S' BDF camp'. Perhaps this is because the two are juxtaposed against each other. A visitor looking for a taxi that goes to Area S at the rank would be asked to explain whether he/she wants to go to the BDF camp or to the location.

'O ya Area-S kwa motseng kgotsa kwa kampeng? (Are you going to the Area-S location or camp?)' This is the question one is likely to be asked.

Ask anyone to describe Area S and they would probably use the refrain, 'a good area gone bad'. This is because the area has lost its ambience. Once upon a time, Area S was a beautiful place where juvenile delinquency was unheard of.

Children here used to listen to the elders and the spirit of Botho prevailed in this tiny area. The reason for this good behavior was influenced mostly by the cooperation among its residents. A visitor to this area would be excused to think that the residents were one big family.

There was a time when people used to sleep outside their houses during summer nights without fear of being attacked by criminals. That was before the area was literally invaded by illegal immigrants.

These days you seldom find a Motswana in this area because most of the houses are being rented out to foreigners most of them from neighbouring Zimbabwe. The spectre of crime is always hovering over people's heads. Houses are barricaded with burglar bars and vicious dogs unleashed to roam the perimetre fence come night time. It has now become common for people to be attacked by criminals who invade their houses while they are sleeping.

Being born and bred in this area and having spent most of my life there, I have seen this area's lustre literally fade away and a new era of crime gradually set in.

Now the original residents of Area S live in perpetual fear of their lives because of spiralling crime. The area has also seen a population growth resulting from the influx of illegal immigrants and Batswana from other districts. The substandard houses, which were, and are still, cheaper to rent, are an attraction to newly arrived job seekers from the rural areas and illegals from other countries.

Among the social ills arising from the invasion is prostitution. Although the majority of the prostitutes are Zimbabweans, many Batswana girls have also jumped on the bandwagon. 

Unemployment in Area S has also led to excessive alcohol drinking and drug abuse, which fuel crime. Alcoholism has led to further poverty and the spread of HIV and AIDS because of unprotected sex even among children as young as 10.

One of the major problems that Area S faces is shortage of land. As a result, it is impossible to expand social facilities like the Health post, which is on a rented residential plot. Young adults here who want to build their own homes have to look elsewhere.

Area S councillor Albert Mosojane is irked by the rising crime wave in his area. Working in concert with the police, councillor Mosojane has vowed to tackle the high crime rate and to banish people, who operate businesses from residential places, to restore peace and stability in the area.