Pigg’s Peak station commander wanted out
PIGG’S PEAK – Public transport operators at Pigg’s Peak Bus Rank have passed a vote of no confidence in Station Commander Dumisani Nzalo.
The transport operators gathered at the Pigg’s Peak Police Station yesterday at around 10am, where they sought audience with Nzalo and police leaders at the station.
They had come to voice out their grievances and dissatisfaction on the manner in which the station commander led the station.
The public transport operators were led by Bus Rank Manager Prince Dlamini and they met with police officers led by Desk Officer Esrom Simelane.
Meeting
Nzalo did not attend the meeting as Simelane highlighted that though he had been alerted of the meeting, he could not be present due to other work commitments.
Simelane said Nzalo was at Buhleni, where the annual Buganu Ceremony would be held this weekend.
The public transport operators were further informed by Simelane, who chaired the meeting, that from Buhleni, the station commander would have to attend to another work commitment in Mbabane.
Another
“We no longer want him here in Pigg’s Peak, but we want another station commander,” said Dlamini.
The bus rank manager stated reasons why they were not satisfied in the manner in which Nzalo conducted himself. Some of the reasons will not be stated as they could not be verified.
Dlamini recounted how justice was delayed when two of their colleagues had been recently robbed by criminals who threatened them with a gun and a bush knife.
He also alleged that one of their colleagues, who was present during the meeting, was robbed of his sandals, cellphone as well as his child’s cellphone.
The public transport operators claimed that another colleague was threatened with a knife by card gamblers, famously known as boPo Zasha for merely warning them to stop their game at the bus rank.
“The sad part is that we tried calling the police but they did not showe up, but instead told us to call the emergency line 999. We man- aged to locate the other criminals who robbed one of our colleagues threatening him with a gun and a bush knife. It is a good thing that the police were able to intervene on that day because we were going to kill them. We do not want to mete mob justice, but we need assistance from the police whenever there is an emergency,” Dlamini said.
The public transport operators claimed that the police had been informed of the operators’ grievances, but allegedly took no action.
Happy
They alleged that some junior police officers were also not happy at the manner in which the station operated.
They further lamented that the suspect who stole from their colleague had been spotted roaming the streets. The transport operators also claimed that a known card gambler in Pigg’s Peak bragged that he would not be arrested as he was allegedly related to senior police officers.
The police acknowledged having learnt of the card gambling activity and said they once warned the gamblers to stop it.
Surprised
“We are surprised that they are back on the street again. The last time we heard was that they had relocated to Mbabane where they were doing their gambling,” said the desk officer.
The public transport operators requested that Nzalo be present on Tuesday in a follow-up meeting, so that they could officially inform him that they were not happy with him. The desk officer said he would not inform Nzalo about the public transport operators’ intentions, but that they requested his presence as they had a message they wished to covey to him.