Traffic offences decline in Kgatleng

LERATO MALEKE
Correspondent | Thursday August 23, 2012 00:00

According to a report presented by Botswana Police Service (BPS) to a full council meeting here this week, 41 people died in accidents in 2011, compared to 49 in 2010.BPS has attributed the decrease to road safety campaigns undertaken with the support of members of the public and private stakeholders. Most accidents are reported to have occurred along the A1 Highway and were mainly due to reckless driving and the negligence of motorists, overtaking on the barrier line and domestic animals straying into the road.

For the period January to June 2012, a total number of 327 road accidents were recorded. KDC chairman Kgosietsile Mooketsi has appealed to his fellow councillors to urge people to take extra care when driving, walking or cycling along roads and to encourage cattle owners to keep their livestock off the roads.Meanwhile, a total of 128 cases of stock theft involving 203 animals were recorded in 2010, compared to 110 cases involving 305 stock in 2011. For the period January to June 2012, police recorded 68 cases involving 229 animals. Police say these trends show an increase in the number of stock involved from 2010 to-date. Mooketsi said farmers were being deprived of monetary benefits from their hard labour of rearing livestock and called for the joining of hands to help the police tackle the problem.