Police Dismiss ‘Attempted Arson’ Reports

Contrary to an Office of the Chief Registrar press release dated April 16, 2021 alleging attempted arson early Friday morning, Jwaneng police have dismissed reports that state there is an investigation into the office breaking incident.

Reached for comment over the matter, Jwaneng Police station commander, superintendent Thuso Basuti dismissed the alleged arson reports that was said to have occurred at Jwaneng Magistrate’s Court. Basuti instead said they were only investigating an office breaking incident.

“Who said there was an attempted arson incident? What we only know is that an office door in one of Jwaneng Magistrate’s Court offices was broken into on Friday early morning. We do not know anything about an attempted arson,” he said.

Basuti said they received a report from a security officer on duty that early morning who allegedly saw two men trying to force entry into one of the offices’ doors. He said the police rushed to the scene and found one of the doors to an office broken into with four two-litre bottles and a five-litre bottle filled with fuel suspected to be petrol and matches dumped by the door.

“Yes, one might suspect that the person(s) who left that fuel there might have had plans to burn the premises, but as the police, we cannot conclude that as attempted arson,” Basuti said.

However, a press release that was signed by the Chief Registrar, Michael Motlhabi reads, “The Public is informed that there was an attempted arson at Jwaneng Magistrate’s Court in the early hours this morning, which is currently under police investigation. This serves to inform and assure the Public, Litigants and other Stakeholders of the following: Our automated system i.e. Court Records Management System retains duplicate electronic files both locally and at the headquarters, which is intended to replace the physical files. This facility enables us to retrieve any destroyed case files and to continue with court as usual.

“Deliberately destroying records, as appears to have been the intention in Jwaneng, cannot succeed due to the electronic disaster recovery systems we have in place. Deliberate acts of arson are not only expensive to the Judiciary, but they also have detrimental effects on the economy of the country and will be dealt with firmly.”