SELEBI-PHIKWE: Four deaths that have been reported in this town in seven days are a concern to the police and the public.
Station Commander, Superintendent Victor Nlebesi expressed his concern during an interview with The Monitor on Friday. He said a BCL miner was killed in a rock fall on the night of February 27. He explained that the 55-year-old man from Bobonong village was on duty underground when the accident happened. Nlebesi said officers from the Department of Mines would investigate the matter with the assistance from BCL officers to establish the cause of the accident. "We will use the findings from the officers to wind up our case. This is an accident and that is why we were informed as the police. The deceased was not suffering from any illness," he said.
Nlebesi said a seven-month-old foetus was found dead next to a soccer pitch by a passer by in Sesame location.He mentioned that the body was found on February 28 and the incident was reported to the police who took the foetus to the hospital. "We have detained a 23-year-old woman who originates from Radisele village to assist us in our investigations. If evidence points to her, she will be charged with concealment of birth. We managed to pick up the suspect with the help from the public," said Nlebesi.
The police chief said cases of this nature have been dropping in his policing area this year unlike last year when they were all over the place. He stated that such issues must be a concern for everybody in the community.
Nlebesi mentioned that there is no need for anybody to conceal a birth because the government has come up with laws, such as the maintenance law, that assist mothers. He explained that irresponsible fathers are forced to pay for the support of their children by the magistrates' courts. He says mothers cannot carry the burden of raising children without any assistance.
"Children are needed because they are the future of our country. From a biblical perspective, nobody is allowed to kill another human being. Giving birth is a blessing and people must be proud of that," said Nlebesi.
The police also received a report of suicide at Phokoje fields on March 1. Nlebesi said the body of a 29-year-old man of Sefophe village was found hanging from a tree. Before taking his own life, the victim is said to have been a suspect in a case of arson. Nlebesi said the deceased had set a house that his girlfriend and her friend were sleeping in on fire. "The women managed to escape the inferno. After escaping the woman found the deceased with a log that he used to hit her on the neck with before disappearing into darkness. He thought that he had killed her and that is why he committed suicide. The victim sustained minor burns and some injuries but has been discharged from the hospital," he said.
In another case, a 35-year-old man was found dead in a toilet seat at Ikageleng location. Nlebesi said the man's cause of death is unknown but they are still waiting for a post-mortem report to determine what happened. The deaths that have gripped Selebi-Phikwe have forced the police together with churches to conduct a prayer meeting in the town centre over the weekend.
