Satellite cop station for Masiphumelele
Deputy minister to deliver on promise of a mobile service centre
MASIPHUMELELE residents are expected to receive their long-awaited mobile police community service centre tomorrow – two months after Deputy Minister of Police Maggie Sotyu visited during the height of violent protests in the area.
At a meeting with residents from Ocean View, Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu last month, Sotyu promised that the centre would be a short-term intervention until a site was found for a new police station.
Yesterday, police spokeswoman Nomsa Hani confirmed that Sotyu would be hosting the official handover ceremony at 10am tomorrow.
She said: “Communities shared and raised a common concern of a lack of police visibility due to a non-existent police station in Masiphumelele.
“These communities requested a satellite or a mobile community service centre, as a short-term premise, in order for the police to respond quickly to complaints and cases of crime.”
Sotyu said: “As promised, we are delivering this mobile police station as an urgent intervention to serve the people of Masiphumelele, while we are progressing and processing to find suitable land for a permanent fully-fleshed police station for this community.”
Acting provincial commissioner MajorGeneral Thembekile Patekile said the centre would function as a normal police station.
He said there was a sector patrol vehicle deployed to the area but was unable to disclose to the Cape Argus the number of police officers available.
“People will be able to lay complaints and those cases would be attended to. They will also do the certifying of documents, stamps and affidavits.”
Masiphumelele grabbed public attention when 14-year-old Amani Pula was murdered in his home two months ago.
The first reported act of vigilantism was in retaliation to Amani’s murder where a man was stoned to death.
The second incident was drug related. Two suspected drug dealers ignored a warning by the community to leave Masiphumelele.
One suspect was beaten and then shot dead, and another was beaten then set alight, and rushed to hospital.