Minister of Police, Mr Mthethwa
MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Mr Shongwe
Provincial Commissioner, Lt General Ntobela and senior SAPS management
Station Commander of the Hazyview Police Station and members
Honoured guests
Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentleman
It is a great privilege to have been included in the programme of the event celebrating a new police station here at the place where the sun rises, Mpumalanga. Thank you for inviting me.
The opening of this police station is an indication that the South African Police Service (SAPS), as part of Government, is dedicated to making our services accessible to all communities. We are committed to ensuring that each police station is situated in a geographical spot which can be easily located by all in the vicinity, not just a select few.
But let us remember that this police station, as impressive as it is, is just a building, a shell. If we ask ourselves, “what makes this shell so valuable to the community?” the answer is decidedly “the men and women who don the blue uniform and risk their lives to serve and protect”.
To the Station Commander and all members serving here, I want to remind you that - in this area - you carry the image and reputation of the entire organisation on your shoulders. Your words and actions, at all times, are a reflection on your colleagues, your Provincial Commissioner, the National Commissioner and Minister of Police.
Your placement here at Hazyview is an indication that we entrust the safety of this community to you. It is also an indication that we trust you to serve all who live and visit here responsibly, efficiently and with integrity, and that you will treat all people courteously, honestly and respectfully.
As this area is a tourist destination with a large influx of visitors to the Kruger National Park and there are dozens of lodges and guest houses, you are going to be even busier than usual over the next few months the December holiday season. I want to thank you in advance for the hard work and long hours that you will be performing over this period while most others are relaxing with their loved ones.
As you go about your duties, you must at all times remember that you also have a responsibility to safeguard yourselves and your colleagues. We have already this year lost too many of our beloved men and women in blue, who were gunned down while performing their duties the duties that you also perform.
I have been advised that there is a growing relationship between the police and the community in this area, and that is to be commended. We cannot fight crime and criminals on our own. We need a sound partnership with the community, business, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO’s), religious and traditional leaders in order to perform our duties optimally. The efficient functioning of the Community Policing Forum is vital to ensure that information is shared, that the community has a right to contribute to policing decisions and that the police who after all come from this very community do not feel isolated.
I am confident that together we can overcome problems and rid the area of the criminal element that break into and steal from local homes, businesses and vehicles.
The official opening of this police station is a new beginning and I am looking forward to my next visit, when I am sure I will hear many good things about this station and the members. As stated in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”.
