Police in talks with Nyanga community
HOT on the heels of a surprise visit by President Jacob Zuma to Nyanga police station on Tuesday, Deputy Police Minister Maggie Sotyu engaged with the community yesterday.
Human rights and youth empowerment group Africa Unite invited Sotyu to a community and police dialogue along with the Department of Correctional Services to address the level of violence in Nyanga and to clear up confusion around the justice system and issues around parole.
Correctional Services’ Billy Ngcobo explained that offenders need to meet certain requirements before becoming eligible for parole. Ngcobo said granting parole was not solely the decision of the department, but a parole board made up of members of the community.
Sonnyboy Tyatyana wanted to know how the parole board was selected, to which Ngcobo responded: “Each position for the board members is advertised, like any other job, in the newspapers.”
Tiny Manikivana regretted recommending parole for an offender who lived close by to her, because he was rearrested for murder shortly after being released.
“It is not all of the parolees come out to only go back to jail because they want to, but the communities don’t involve them in their activities and (they) therefore feel rejected and commit crime out of anger of being rejected,” she said.
Sotyu said the community felt most crimes were committed by parolees.
She also stressed that Nyanga was a major crime hot spot and the police were focusing their efforts on the area.”Crime in Nyanga is very stubborn and we are doing everything we can to fight it.” Nyanga police station commander Vuyisile Ncatha said: “Most of our crimes are as a result of alcohol abuse and shebeens, legal or illegal, are not helping because people are on the streets day and night on weekends and therefore commit or become victims of crime.” –