Vosloorus SAPS detective honoured with a certificate
Mzini was assigned to investigate the case and immediately took the complainant's statement.
A security company called Lebola Bright Security (LBS) operating in Ekurhuleni recently honoured Det Sgt Minky Mzini of Vosloorus SAPS with a certificate of appreciation for her dedication and commitment to her work.
This follows after Mzini made progress and an arrest with little information on a case that was reported by the security company.
According to Mzini, she received a complaint from a security official of LBS responsible for the Kathorus sites about the theft of municipal property on February 27 at around 19:30.
Mzini said the security officer reported he saw three people stealing bricks while he was making his rounds on Bierman Road near Cambridge that evening.
She said the security guard made a U-turn to inspect what was happening, understanding that the contractor does not operate on Saturdays.
“When he got the suspect, they started running away, leaving a car and trailer behind. The guard then called the police. Sgt Mosa Vilakazi and Const Ntobeko Zulu, with their team, were quick to respond and confiscated the vehicle and trailer,” she explained.
Mzini was assigned to investigate the case and immediately took the complainant’s statement.
“The witness statement led to the arrest of a 34-year-old male from Extension Eight, Vosloorus.
“The complainant was yet to come the following day to give us information about the suspect we had already linked to the case.
“But when he arrived, he found we had already arrested the suspect. He was happy, hence the company awarded me a certificate,” said Mzini.
She said there were three suspects but only one has been arrested, who is an employee of the company contracted to lay the pavement.
Mzini said she is happy to have received the certificate because they always get complaints about the police and the community does not see that they are working.
“I am pleased to know there are people who acknowledge Vosloorus SAPS is working. It motivates me a lot.”
She shared some challenges that make it difficult for investigators to crack cases, citing the community’s lack of the commitment to share information with police as one of the major reasons for the investigation process to move at a snail’s pace.
“When a person in the community gets stabbed, there is always an eyewitness. When the victim reports the suspect to police and the witnesses do not come to give statements, it becomes difficult for us to investigate,” she continued.
“With drug dealers, the people in the community know where the drugs are sold, but when police request information, they do not want to come forward.”
She said most people in Vosloorus like to report cases then they do not want to give police their side of the story.
Vosloorus SAPS group commander Lt-Col Thato Mohoebi told Kathorus MAIL the security company was pleased because initially, the suspect was unknown.
Mohoebi said LBS has been tasked to guard metro assets since they are now installing pavements.
He said the case is still in court and that they are tracing the remaining two suspects.
The arrested suspect has appeared in the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court and is expected to again appear on May 4.
