CRYING OUT FOR REINFORCEMENTS
Armoury break-in highlights Molepolole Police’s staff issues
Although the top brass deny it, reliable sources have told The Voice there was only one officer on site the night a thief broke into Molepolole Police Station’s armoury and helped himself to guns.
According to the insider, on the evening in question, 3rd April, four cops were meant to be manning the station - two men and two women. However, one was ill while two others had left to collect the night-shift crew, who were due to start work at 10pm.
“It happened that the other female officer was unwell. She earlier requested for sick offs and was released after being given a sick leave,” explained the source.
Insisting this was nonsense, Officer Commanding Kweneng District No 11, Senior Superintendent, Modise Gabatshwane, stuck to the official line.
“About 20 police officers were on duty; 16 were deployed at various places on patrol while four remained in the office,” maintained the top cop, adding the station was extremely busy that afternoon but there was never any mention of being short-staffed.
“Choppies was recently robbed, so every evening at 4pm police disperse to chain shops. 16 officers are deployed to guard the shops during counting of money when they close: these officers are from Molepolole station,” continued Gabatshwane.
Unimpressed, sources accused the big guns of a cover-up to save face.
“I understand they didn’t even interview the female officer who was left alone. They only took statements the next morning from the officers who were on night duty,” claimed the fed-up insider.
“Molepolole station is always busy and there is a serious shortage of police officers. OC has deployed about 16 police officers from the station to work in a task-team patrolling the village. We have tried to complain about our workload being too much but the station commander would just simply say there is nothing
“About 20 police officers were on duty; 16 were deployed at various places on patrol while four remained in the office.”
he can do, the OC is the leader,” grumbled the source.
“OC o a tshabiwa, o ikgagapelela sengwe le sengwe (OC is feared; he takes control of everything). He should have at least taken police officers from various stations in the district, not Molepolole alone, the biggest village where there is too much crime,” added another concerned officer.
Once again, Gabatshwane dismissed such talk as rubbish.
“Some of the police officers are housed at the district because of lack of space at the station. I have about five officers working around me as OC. Taskforce officers are not for the district, they are for Molepolole station, they work at 10pm. I don’t run the station, I run the district; they only come to the district because of shortage of space at the station where they can assemble because they are accompanied by the soldiers,” said Gabatshwane.
He did, however, concede they were stretched to the limit in the village.
“You see how big Molepolole is? 16 officers work during the night, eight go to the ATMS and the most painful thing is the remaining eight are responsible for patrols. We are very thin on the ground at the most dangerous time, people are attacked during the night. The decision was made by the commissioner after blasting of ATMS in the area,” said the OC, adding their numbers are only bolstered at the weekend when they have the help of recruits.
Meanwhile, the man suspected of masterminding last month’s break-in, 30-year-old Kabelo Skhebo Paul, was denied bail again on Tuesday.
The mechanic, who was arrested in Tlokweng on 6th April, three days after the robbery, is accused of stealing an AK47 rifle, two AK47 Magazines, .22 rifle and 60 live rounds ammunitions, all of which have since been recovered.
The Shakawe native is due back in court on 3rd June.