Herd instinct

On 15 November, the rumour that a woman in a yard in Boseja had partly turned into a snake, spread through Maun like wildfire. Hundreds of people were moving to the woman's compound and taxi's had a filed day. Traffci in the area was jammed and people outside the yard demanded entrance as they 'had the right' to go and look at the snake woman. People were throwing stones and threatening to burn the house down so that the woman would have to come out. At last, someone alerted the police, who came to restore order. The crowd was so determined that the police had to use force to disperse the people. Later on, people complained the had been injured because the police had beaten them. The woman in question was an innocent elderly lady who remained mainly indoors. Incidents like these show that people are typical herd animals. Once the herd instinct sets in, there is no more individual thinking and behaviour and the mob rules. Quite scary actually...

Fuel prices up again

Fuel prices are going up again. As from midnight, 10 November, petrol is to be increased by 40 thebe per litre and diesel by 51 thebe. The price of paraffin is also to be increased by 50 thebe. I'm considering buying a cart and some donkeys...

Road needs re-surfacing after short period

The road to the new Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital has been stripped of its asphalt surface. After having been in use for only a few years, and after constantly developing new potholes, it has been decided to re-surface the road. It would be advisable that when tenders are given out for projects like these, serious follow-up and quality control during the project and upon completion would be carried out. The present situation is embarrassing for all parties involved and a serious inconvenience to the public using the hospital. Another important question: who is going to foot the bill for this operation?

Booze Bus

The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) recently donated one of their "booze buses" to the Maun Police. These buses are fully equipped to catch drivers under the influence of alcohol where they should be caught: on the road.

Greece, the Euro and the EU

The European Debt Crisis, as it is dubbed, remains a reason for serious concern. Greece is on the verge of bankruptcy and the third largest economy in Europe, Italy, also has a serious debt problem and a sluggish economic growth.

Maun water - the continuing story...

Despite regular promises, the water situation in Maun, especially in Boseja ward, remains a serious concern.