Shongwe pledges to support frontline policing
11 March 2013
Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe pledges to support the frontline policing initiative by Amersfoort Police Station. Frontline policing is an initiative by the police to take services to the community.
These services include certification of documents and sworn affidavits. They will be done simultaneously with other duties while police are on patrol.
This emerged at a briefing session prior to the Safety and Security public participation event held at Zamokuhle in Amersfoort on Sunday, 10 March 2013.
Lieutenant Colonel Sdumo Ngcobo, Station Commander of Amersfoort Police Station told the MEC that this will enable police in his precinct to enhance service delivery as 2013 has been declared as the year of frontline policing.
Shongwe indicated that this was a good initiative which he supports because most people in the rural areas still find difficulties in accessing police stations. He said that the initiative will enable community members to have access to these services anytime of the day and save money for them because they would minimise taxi trips to the police station.
Welcoming the plan, Shongwe said that the initiative would take services to the communities and that this kind of action is needed in the province, therefore should be adopted by other stations.
During the public participation event at Zamokuhle, community members complained about prevalent stock theft in the area, saying that their live stock is stolen, slaughtered and the meat sold to community members. Some residents cited farm evictions, dark streets, liquor outlets and buying of stolen goods as contributors of crime in the area.
Sexual offence cases were also reported to have increased in the area and this was attributed to the use of alcohol, as most of the incidences happen during the weekend at night.
Responding to the complaints, MEC Shongwe said while he is acknowledging the challenges raised by the community, people should not sit-back; instead they must continue to assist government in the fight against crime.
He also urged community members to refrain from buying meat and other goods that they suspect was stolen.
Shongwe also raised concerns regarding residential areas which do not have street lights, saying that this exacerbated crime. The usage of RDP houses as tuck shops was also cited as a foreign practise that created problems because those houses were not built in business demarcated areas and also attracted criminals.
Stakeholders that were part of the Imbizo included the South African Police Service, local business associations, local municipalities, government departments and the provincial Community Police Board. They were all requested to identify and solve residents’ problems before being raised during meetings.
Issued by Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison
Enquiries: Joseph Mabuza
Cell: 082 678 1450