SAPS honours Tzaneen farming community
The SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nneke Jim Ledwaba accompanied by the Provincial Management held the commendation ceremony, on Sunday, at Letaba River Lodge outside Tzaneen of the exceptional partnership policing rendered by the farming community in the Tzaneen Cluster.
This emanated from the collective effort by the farming community in bolstering and rigorously engaging in the fight against crime especially the cash-in-transit heists (CIT’s), robberies, illegal hunting, farm attacks, stock theft, trespassing, copper wire theft and/or any form of criminal activity affecting the farming community.
Farmers in the Cluster are consistently partnering with the police around all the Police Stations through the tracing of wanted suspects, road blocks, stop and searches, etc.
Some of the achievements reached during the joint operations include a major breakthrough made after a cash-in-transit that occurred on Tuesday, 5 June, at about six-thirty in the afternoon.
The G4 security officers were allegedly transporting money along the R71 road between Letsitele and Tarentaal rand outside Tzaneen when about ten suspects travelling in two cars accosted them but, within a short space of time, the suspects were apprehended and they recovered a lot of items, including firearms.
Also read:Â TZANEEN: Farm Watch assists in heist gang arrests
The event was graced by the presence of many dignitaries, namely, the Deputy Provincial Commissioner Policing, Major General Jan Scheepers; the Deputy Provincial Commissioner HRM, Major General Christine Morakaladi; the SAPS Deputy Cluster Commander of Tzaneen Cluster, Brigadier Marry Mashila; the SAPS Deputy Cluster Commander of Giyani, Brigadier Mbazima Marungani; the Tzaneen Cluster Station Commanders; the Cluster Community Police Forums (CPF’s); the Tzaneen, Gravelotte, Letsitele, Modjadjiskloof, Mooketsi, Hoedspruit Farming Communities, and other relevant stakeholders.
The SAPS Tzaneen Cluster Commander Major General Maggie Mathebula unpacked the purpose of the day, which is to strengthen the partnership policing, between the Police and the farming community, that is prevailing in this Cluster by conveying a token of appreciation to them.
Ben Coller, representing the Farming Communities, thanked the SAPS in all levels of command, especially in the Tzaneen Cluster, for being so patriotic in joining hands with them consistently in the fight against crime.
He expressed his gratitude of the declining levels of crime in Limpopo but he warned the criminals out there that their days are numbered unless they stop their dirty tricks.
Major General Jan Scheepers has commended the farming communities for their active participation in the fight against crime because the Police will never win the fight against crime if they operate alone.
He further emphasized that an element of mistrust must never be allowed between the Police and the community in order to defeat this dangerous phenomenon called ‘crime’.
Major General Scheepers has further poured accolades for the farming communities for allocating the physical resources including helicopters in responding to serious crimes including the crimes against cash-in-transit operations, and robberies.
Lock down joint operations will still continue throughout the Province especially in the crime infested areas through partnering with the communities in compliance with the National Development Plan of South Africa.
“We must leave a legacy of a crime free society at each and every area,” concluded General Scheepers.
In closing this event, the SAPS Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba, has appreciated the continuous and unconditional input made by the farming communities in this Cluster with high esteem.
“You can deploy platoons and platoons of workforce to all the areas to deal with crime but if those communities do not have confidence in the Service, you will never be successful”, concluded Ledwaba.
