A NEW executive committee was voted in at last week’s meeting of the Umbilo Community Policing Forum.
Following a nomination period, names were put forward and residents voted on the night to elect the team to take the CPF forward in Umbilo.
Col Gerald Mkhize from Umbilo SAPS said the objective of the CPF is to establish and maintain a partnership with the SAPS, and to develop and improve communication between the SAPS and the community.
According to Mr Mtambo, the provincial board chairperson in charge of the election process, crime is a shared responsibility and the people elected to the CPF must realise that fighting crime is a shared responsibility with the police. “There are only 350 000 officers in South Africa, and in a democratic society we are all responsible for fighting crime. The police alone can’t do policing, citizens can do more to eradicate crime,” he said.
The matter of the vice-chairperson nominee, Marco Accolla, having a report against him at the Umbilo SAPS was overlooked by residents, who confirmed they were not opposed to him standing for election.
Residents voted Thabo Kadikadi in as chairperson, Marco Accolla as vice-chairperson, Andrew Coakley as secretary, Karen Cotton as deputy secretary, Keith Sobey as treasurer, Pearl Mageza as PR, and Tony Blaunfeldt, Sandile Dlamini and Eric Cotton as additional members.
Following the announcement of the committee, Mr Mtambo said: “Let’s be progressive, let’s govern by the rule of law in the country and make this country governable again.”
Thabo Kadikadi addressed residents, thanking them on behalf of the committee for their faith in them as a committee.
“Together we can make a difference in the community,” he said.
