South Africa: The 11th Trans Kalahari Corridor Joint Law Enforcement Operation deeply saddened as the Trans Kalahari Corridor Secretariat (TKCS) Executive Director Leslie Mpofu led the commemoration of candle lighting in remembrance of the officials from all Three Member States who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This operation is currently being held in South Africa from Monday 14th to Friday 19th November 2022; it is the first since the strains of COVID-19, the last being held in 2019 in Namibia.
With over 200 officials from the three Member States gathered in the North West (Rustenburg), this promises to be one of the biggest JLEOs to be held within the TKC.
The first two days are dedicated to an important Information Sharing Session that is aimed at officials exchanging notes on challenges and agreeing on solutions that will help standardise operations.
The Executive Director said COVID-19 had created strains and negatively affected the work in the corridor, especially the seamless movement of passengers and goods.
“All of us have been affected by the enemy called death during this pandemic. It brought pain and destruction to families. We can never get used to death. We bury it all the time, but the pain is still intense. We will continue to suffer. We will continue to cry when death hits us.”
However, the Executive Director encouraged members to keep their faith and continue believing in God. “Ever since we started the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), as we reach the 11th JLEO today, we have become one family, and the loss of our late colleagues has definitely wounded us. We will never forget them, and their memories will live with us,” concluded Mpofu.
