High level intervention by KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC, Willies Mchunu, at the crime-ravaged Mpumalanga Township, west of Durban, has resulted in the total overhaul of the management of the local police station.
The overhaul comes in the wake of an upsurge of violence in Mpumalanga, especially Georgedale and Sankontshe, where incidents of murder, rape, theft and lawlessness resulted in locals taking law into their hands.
Early this year, January five men were shot at killed an illegal sheeben in Sankotshe. It later emerged that most of those that were murdered were wanted criminals who had been out on bail for murder and apparently belonged to a group of gangsters.
At the time locals complained bitterly to MEC Mchunu that they were not getting any joy from the local police station when they reported cases of criminality and that, in instances, where the murder suspects were apprehended by police they were often let of lightly on bail of about R500 for murder.
Among other incidents of criminality, in March this year a-32-year old man was abducted from his home and later found murdered with multiply head injuries near Thandaza railway line. He was allegedly suspected of having robbed one of the community members. Crime reports from Hammarsdale policing cluster indicated an increase on incidents of crime in the area.
MEC Mchunu and his team have been working flat out at this township mobilising the community against crime and criminals. At the crime summit, held at the weekend, sweeping changes were made in the management of the local police station.
These included the appointment of a new police station commissioner, Colonel Jericho Nkomo, new head of visible policing, Lt Colonel Joachim Skhosana and the new head of detectives, Lt Sosibo. Local told the summit that since the engagement of the new management they had been noticeable improvement.
“We have started to see changes in the way police are working at the location,” said a local during the summit. MEC Mchunu has welcomed these new changes and urged communities to work with the police to ensure that criminality came to an end.
”The war against crime and criminality can only be won if all people in the township work hand in hand with the police to fight crime and criminals,” said MEC Mchunu. Some community crime fighting structures had been launched in the township and moves are afoot to spread them throughout the township.
Media contact :
Sipho Khumalo
Cell: 082 682 6437
E-mail: Sipho.khumalo@comsafety.gov.za
Kwanele Ncalane
Cell: 072 803 1462 or 079 6995755
E-mail: Kwanele.ncalane@kzntransport.gov.za
