New cluster commander ready to act against crime
Siganga calls for people to aid the police
KOMANI has welcomed new police cluster commander Major-General Funeka Siganga who is ready to take up the fight against crime.
The former incumbent, Major-General Thembisile Patekile who assumed duty on April 1 last year, handed over the baton to Siganga after he was sent to serve as cluster commander in Port Elizabeth.
It was Siganga’s first day in the office on Monday.
Police spokeswoman Captain Namhla Mdleleni said Siganga would manage 17 stations including Molteno, Sterkstroom, Ntabethemba, Thornhill, Whittlesea, Cathcart, Henderson, Komani, Thomas River, Ezibeleni, Linge, Mlungisi and Lady Frere.
Siganga said one of the most important aspects of her job was to ensure that the community understood that the police were here to work with them.
“Crime is committed within the community where we are staying. We will look at the types of crimes that are being committed. We are assessing the crime on a daily basis to check if there are similar tendencies.”
This was done, she said, to ensure that when police were deployed, it was done in such a way to ensure crime prevention.
“We want to work with the people, which is why it is important that the community understands their role in fighting crime.”
Such stakeholders included business people, farmers, traditional leaders and church leaders.
Discussions would be held with communities, including the elderly and the youth.
Following complaints about policing in Ilinge, including crimes against the elderly, she said the police were looking at all areas where there were existing challenges.
“We do not have enough resources, but we will assist with what we have.”
She said she would check on allegations of police officers who drink while on duty and that she was sitting with station commanders to look at ways of dealing with crime, although she warned that “these will not be fixed in a day”.
Mdleleni said if police members were found drunk on duty or doing anything wrong, disciplinary action would be taken.
She called on the community to report ill-discipline of any SAPS member to the station commanders or the cluster commander’s office.