Another witness said that they tried to call police 999 and through the Orange and Mascom cellphones but without success.
"The car was abandoned a few meters from the house," Senior Superintendent, Officer Commanding Milton Mapange of Serious Crime Squad said when confirming the incident. He said that apparently the thugs were not interested in the Nissan bakkie but in the cash and other valuables such as cellphone. He said that the vehicle has since been returned to the owner but no arrests had been made. Mapange was confident the police would have responded timely to the reports, as there are officers dedicated to attending to such cases. He said that when a report is made the police respond quickly. He expressed concern at the alarming rate of motor theft in Gaborone and surrounding areas and pleaded for assistance from the public. He said that they are closing in on a syndicate that they suspect is behind the crime spiral in the area. "We are definitely going to net them. We have operations on ground targeting some individuals we suspect of involvement in the crime," he said. Mapange noted that there is indiscriminate theft of motor vehicles and thieves are not targeting any type of vehicle.
The Broadhurst Police Station, which covers Phiring Location, is difficult to call. A station commander recently told this paper that the phone number is giving them problems and that they have long reported the matter to the relevant officers but no assistance has been forthcoming.
