Harding residents beg Cele to solve crime in the area
THE Kwazulu-natal community of Harding heard that 108 criminals were out on bail, seven for murder and 20 for rape, when they pleaded for a more effective SAPS to curb crime in the area.
Minister of Police Bheki Cele received an earful from residents of umuziwabantu Local Municipality during a Ministerial Crime Prevention Imbizo yesterday. Residents pleaded for more police officers for Harding police station.
Residents said they were reliant on private security companies in the area because the SAPS failed to do its work. Residents expressed their lack of trust in the justice system and the SAPS. They called for a police dog unit and for the monitoring of police.
During the imbizo, residents took turns sharing their plight. Mama Buthuma said her son was shot 18 times with a rifle. She claimed the case was never investigated by the SAPS.
“Police in this area are not helpful. No cop arrived at my house after my son was killed to give an update or question anything. What saddens me is that the killer communicated with me after killing my son. I tried to communicate that, but nothing was done,” said Buthuma.
Silindile Sincuba said her family were attacked while returning home from church by men carrying rifles and driving around in a bakkie. She said her husband and some of her children died.
Sincuba said her son, who was driving behind them in another car, was first shot, and the criminals proceeded to them, and shot the children in the car and her husband without a reason. She got assistance from passing motorists to take the bodies of her children and those who were still alive to a nearby clinic.
“We were left with so much trauma. I pay out of my own pocket for therapy, and I am unemployed. I am trying to raise my two children, who are also traumatised. When we hear a gunshot or of someone who was shot and killed, we recall our tragic incident. We all would not eat nor talk for days. What we experienced was traumatic,” she said.
Fathiswa Nongogo said the private security company in the area was doing a better job. She also urged Cele to help restore the dignity and reputation of the SAPS.
“The SAPS should work hand in hand with the private security company,” said Nongogo.
A community leader, John Matshinga, said they know some police work hard, but they are overwhelmed.
“There are some rotten potatoes that do not belong here. I would also suggest that we get satellite police stations,” he said.
Responding to the community, Cele said there was a high rate of house break-ins, shoplifting and robberies in the area. He said criminals were out on bail, but a team of detectives would be deployed within a week to solve the unresolved cases reported by the community members.
“A team of the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service will be deployed to check the behaviour of the police personnel here and how the police station functions. They will come here within two weeks, and I am expecting a report from them to tell me what is the problem here,” said Cele.
He said five cars would be added to the police station. Cele admitted that there is a shortage of police in the country, but said from December, additional police recruits would be deployed to the station once they complete training.
Ten thousand police officers would be deployed throughout the country.