Maun North BDP candidate spearheads the project
Prophet Thato Elias, who is also the BDP Maun North parliamentary candidate is spearheading a multi Million Pula project in which Matlapana Community seeks to build its own Satellite Police station.
The idea, Elias has explained was motivated by the government’s call for individuals to adopt a police station
Estimated to cost at least P18 Million, the construction works is expected to involve every community member from Matlapana area including surrounding and catchment areas such as Disana, Legotlhwana, Xhakanare, Boro, Sedie, Sennori, Sexaxa among others.
Elias chairs the fundraising committee that was recently appointed to source funds from the corporate community towards construction, furniture and equipping of the property.
“This Police Post will help relief Maun Police station, which is servicing a very large population and is overwhelmed by workload,” said Elias, adding that the police station will help reduce crime and shorten police respond time at times of need including in road accidents and emergency calls.
The landboard has already allocated a plot for this project near Matlapana traffic circle.
The council has also drawn a modern architect plan for this project, “It will have private rooms where people go in and report their cases privately without prying ears. A lot of detail and extra care has gone into the plan,”explained Elias
According to Elias the committee has made an agreement with Builder’s Mart so that donations in cash are deposited directly into the project’s account, “We are not going to take any cash in hand, all the monies have to be deposited directly into the Project’s account. Maybe in future we may involve other Building Material shops, but for now, it is Buildre’s Mart that we have an agreement with.”
He further explained that the committee took an initiative to fundraise for a police station after realising that the government has no plans to build a police station in their area in the near future and that they had to find ways to make it happen rather than wait for government to do it for them.
Matlapana tribal leader, Kgosi Tshupegetso Bontsibokae has also spoken highly of the project saying it will make a big change in his community.
“We as Matlapana Community came together and discussed this in unison. We approached Botswana Police Services and they understood where we were coming from and embraced the idea. They are onboard and are helping greatly in ensuring we do the right thing,” explained the Chief.
Kgosi Bontsibokae further noted that his community has adopted a concept used in the 1980s when the University of Botswana was built through “Motho le Motho Kgomo.”
“We have agreed that each family will make a contribution towards this project in any way they can,” added Bontsibokae.
