A suspect is kicking up a fuss in Kasane. Police are currently in pursuit of a suspect who overpowered a police officer and made away with a fully loaded AK-47 rifle.

According to reports from Kasane, the event occurred last week Tuesday in the early hours of the morning when police received a report regarding an assault case. In response to the call, a 59-year-old police officer assigned to the Kasane police station and a fellow officer, both carrying fully loaded 30-round magazines for AK-47 rifles, arrived at the scene in Plateau.

When the officers arrived on the scene, a fight broke out between them and the suspect, who was apparently resisting arrest. During the altercation, the suspect attacked the two police officers with an axe. Furthermore, during the pandemonium, one of the officers shot his colleague in the pelvic bone by accident and the injured cop was promptly taken to the hospital for treatment. The suspect grabbed custody of the fully loaded AK-47 rifle and fled the scene.

Superintendent James Maabong, commander of Kasane police station, said that the suspect had overpowered a police officer and fled with the service rifle. The initial incident began when a 38-year-old man from Serowe, a government employee at the district commissioner’s office in Kasane, was accused of assaulting his girlfriend at Plateau location in Kasane.

“The police arrived at the scene to apprehend the suspect, who resisted arrest and attacked the officers with an axe. The accidental discharge of a firearm resulted in one officer being injured and subsequently airlifted from Kasane to Gaborone Private Hospital (GPH) for medical treatment,” says Superitendent Maabong.

However, the police managed to arrest the alleged suspect. The suspect will face multiple charges, and the recovered service rifle and its ammunition have been retrieved.

Superintendent Maabong underlined the necessity of obtaining professional help in times of misunderstandings in relationships and cautioned that anyone engaging in gender-based violence will face consequences.

The Ministry of Entrepreneurship (MOE) through the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a workshop in which they were training Horticulture Farmers on Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) using wastewater/ effluent water on vegetable production.

This initiative seeks to increase certainty that agricultural commodities meet certain standard requirements and encouraging conformity and provide a significant opportunity for continues improvement of various practices involved for the production and processes of agricultural products.

Lesedi Modo-Mmopelwa, assistant FAO representative, during the training program noted that Botswana’s horticulture sector has gained increased importance due to import restrictions on specific horticultural items that came into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. Global challenges, such as climate change, however, have led to unpredictable rainfall patterns, resulting in water scarcity and the use of wastewater for irrigation hence why farmers frequently turn to effluent water due to limited access to freshwater resources.

“In recent years we have witnessed growing challenge faced by famers around the world and increasing pressure on water sources as fresh water becomes scares living more farmers with no option but to turn to other sources of water for irrigation in most cases. Used waste water or fluent water is the only viable option that we resort to,” said Modo-Mmopelwa.

Modo-Mmopelwa further said that this shift towards wastewater for irrigation is born out of necessity, but it also presents significant challenges that we must address to safeguard food safety and the health of communities; hence, we are here to train our horticulture farmers on good agriculture practices using wastewater in vegetable production.

“Botswana’s horticulture sector has aid increasing significant due to import restrictions. I emphasize that you should not relax and think that because boarders have been closed it means that we are safe. We would need to compete globally, within the region and be able to export our products. We must make sure that we practice good agricultural practices,” Modo-Mmopelwa said.

Modo-Mmopelwa said this heightened focus on horticulture also presents several challenges including water scarcity utilization wastewater for irrigation and this transition raises valid concerns about food safety and underscores urgency of addressing this issue to ensure that agricultural practices adhered to as established standards.

“The recent involving a horticulture farmer using waste water to clean farm produce serves as a stuck reminder of the challenges we face. It is an issue that demand immediate attention and the active collaboration of all relevant stakeholders,” noted Modo-Mmopelwa.

Modo-Mmopelwa   appreciated the training, she said this training is a pivotal steps towards achieving food security and sustainability in Botswana’s horticulture sector to seek to empower farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a dynamic agricultural landscape while upholding food safety and adhering to established standards. This initiative also contribute to long term resilient and prosperity of the horticulture sector in Botswana.

Mpho Thaga Principal Agriculture Engineering said this water is a germ or precious commodity because it has lot of benefits in the agricultural sector especially the crop sector since it is reliable source of water. Explaining the meaning behind germ, he said this water contains lot of nutrients that one does not need to use fertilizers.  The wastewater contains nutrients that are required by our crops to grow. He said the water is always available throughout in the water streams.

“However there are some risks involved with the use of this treated wastewater. Risks involved with the use of this water is that it contains pathogens if not properly treated. Heavy metals is also a risk when they are presence in our waters they turn to cause cancer when consumed.  The smell of untreated water cannot be healthy to some people,” said Thaga.

Thaga said event with that situation, the government of Botswana through National Master Plan for the Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development (NAMPAADD) and National water Master plan reviews of 2006 identified this water as a reliable water source that can be used to effectively and efficiently increase crop productivity and crop production and relieve the pressure on fresh water.

With almost a year left before the 2024 general elections, political parties are busy preparing themselves and in the process designing poster cards bearing faces of their lead or champion campaigners.