Police Will Be More Visible During Festive Season

Police will be deployed in large numbers in all the towns and urban centres throughout the country during the Christmas season to ensure that it is celebrated with cheer, the Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety, Mr. Motsoahae Thomas Thabane has announced.

 In a statement to the media on December 10, Mr. Thabane said government is willing to employ all measures to ensure that Lesotho experiences utter peace during this festive season. Although Christmas is a joyous occasion of family reunions and other festivities, some people usually spoil the fun and abuse this time to their selfish advantage, committing criminal offences, driving recklessly, stealing, murdering, raping and assaulting others. 

Members of the police will be seen conducting numerous road blocks, aimed at curbing the ever increasing road accidents on Lesotho's main roads, as well as patrolling busy commercial centres, bus stops, the city centre and around the various Automatic Teller Machines (ATM).

The Minister urged the nation to work with the police, giving them the necessary information to carry out their duties effectively, and to avoid activities that will put lives in danger, such as walking alone in dark and secluded places at night.

Liquor outlets have also been asked to close on time as too much alcohol consumption has been found to increase criminal tendencies as some people will commit crimes and then claim that they were under the influence.

At the same briefing, the Minister announced that the phasing out of local passports, to have come into operation on December 31 this year, has been rescinded due to the slow rate at which international passports are being produced. A new date for the local passports' date of expiry will be announced.
11 December 2003