The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, Public Safety and Parliamentary Affairs has appealed to Sixondo and Bebesa communities along the Lesotho and South African border to maintain peace and stability.

Addressing the public at a gathering held at Sixondo on Wednesday, Mr. Lesao Lehohla said maintaining peace and stability along the border will strengthen the relations of the two countries.

He urged the community along the border to fight illegal importation of firearms and vehicles by perpetrators, as these crimes would destroy the relations between Lesotho and South Africa.

The DPM further encouraged the community to engage in community policing for a fight against crime, adding that community partnership with the police ease implementation of crime prevention strategies.

He stated that government will this financial year allocate more than 100 vehicles to the Lesotho Mounted Police Service to improve police services. He said preparations for procurement of police uniform and construction of offices and residential houses are in process.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. Kizito Mhlakaza said community is an important stakeholder in crime prevention since community members are always near the scene of crime, report crime and provide the police with information that lead to the arrest of law offenders.

He encouraged community members to work hand in hand with the District Local Partnership Policing Board as it focuses on crime prevention and community development.

Member of Parliament for Tele Constituency, Mr. Ndiwuhleli Ndlomose said Basotho and South Africans living along the borders are friends, neighbours and relative with the same social problems. He alleged that it is people coming from inside both countries that trespass to commit different crimes that include dagga trafficking and car theft.

He promised that people along the Tele border would continue to join hands with the police from the two counties in the fight against crime.

The public gathering was attended by high-ranking officials from the Ministry of home affairs, public servants at district level, community councilors, school children and the public. The objective of the public gathering was to address cross border crime related issues.

Source: LENA 19/06/2008