Lerato Matheka

MASERU — Maseru City Council has introduced a toll parking system at the area opposite Moshoeshoe Statue.
MCC public relations officer, Lintle Moerane, said the move was aimed at curbing theft of vehicles and generating income for the municipality.
Illegal car washing had also become a problem.
Moerane said in an interview this week that the park was fast becoming a hot crime spot.
She said they had received from police a number of reports of vehicles stolen from the free parking area.
“We introduced a paying system for motorists at the park for security purposes this month after these reports,” she added.
The MCC employed cleaners at the place who look after the environment but they were too busy guarding vehicles.
The municipality believes the new parking system would help monitor the movement of cars in the parking area under surveillance.
Moerane said the place was also being used by some people for indecent activities.
“One of the biggest challenges we were facing with the park is public indecence mostly by young people,” she said.
Some people were using the place as a love nest.
Moerane added: “This was difficult to deal with as the MCC could not screen everybody going into the public park where people are allowed to go in and enjoy themselves under the shade.
“However we have observed that there were outcasts who engaged in unlawful activities.”
The MCC employees were now patrolling the area to curb such activities.
Groups of more than 10 people were no longer allowed to assemble in the area as it was no longer used for parties or any kind of public events.
She said with the car parking area a no-go area for pedestrians, they were hoping to introduce tough measures to control public indecency.
“This is a behavioural change issue. We urge parents to monitor their children when they leave home.
“We want to retain the Moshoeshoe Statue as a secure and respectable area,” she said.