Government was working with countries such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique on all developmental projects, including addressing illegal border crossing and illegal immigration, the minister noted.

Government was also improving borderline control by weeding out corruption officials, who contributed to illegal immigration by providing fraudulent documentation.

“We must also mobilise communities living along borders to work with the law enforcement on both sides of the borders to help curb crime,” she said.

The minister also noted that stock theft had dramatically increased in parts of the country, particularly along the border of Lesotho.

The police’s Rural Safety Programme was aimed at ensuring the safety of rural communities.

Government was not only concerned with the safety of farmers but also that of farm dwellers and rural communities with stock, especially those situated near border with other countries, Sotyu said.

She urged Mount Fletcher residents to consider putting together community patrols.

The minister noted that some of the major challenges people in the area faced included high levels of violent crime, stock theft, illegal border crossing and related border crimes.

Sotyu called on the communities to report illegal shebeens and taverns to the authorities so that they could be closed down.

“Taverns and shebeens that are found next to schools and churches must be closed. We all know that excessive [use] and abuse of alcohol increase social ills of domestic abuse, violence, drinking-and-driving and aggression… It is not enough to just regulate laws that would prohibit selling liquor on Sundays,” she added.