SAPS take a stand against crime
After the traumatic passing of a young woman who was gangraped and stabbed to death by two suspects in the beginning of August, also known as Women’s Month, the Pienaar SAPS took a stand and hosted an anti-crime awareness campaign.
ZWELISHA-The suspects arrested in connection with the girl’s murder will appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on October 1.
Communities were urged to break the silence and report any criminal activities in their homes or at taverns to the police.
Mr Zweli Lubisi of the Mpumalanga Liquor Board urged tavern owners to
adhere to the rules and regulations of their liquor licences, and close at stipulated times.
“We know that we have a problem with taverns that run business the whole night and we are against all of that, as the policy state
times of opening and closing,” he
said.
Lubisi further urged members of the community to report all taverns which failed to obey the rules of their closing times as well as those which operated without having proper documentations.
“We need your help as the community, to identify all this taverns, even those work without licenses to sell alcohol. We as a liquor board working with the SAPS says all taverns which does not comply by the rules will be closed because many criminal activities happens either at or near taverns at awkward hours,” he said.
Pienaar station commander, Col Kenal Jali added that there were many cases opened by residents of Zwelisha which contributed to the high percentage of crime reported this year. “We had three rapes which happened at Zomba, which is not what we want. Our mission is that this place must be a free crime area.”
He also called on the community to refrain from buying stolen property, hence the campaign was themed anti-stolen goods
awareness campaign. Crime happening around the newly built Emoyeni Mall was also highlighted.
“Children are hit by cars near the mall while crossing roads, and now we have robbery and housebreaking cases. We need the community to work together with the police and come out with information for
us to reach our goal of a free crime area. If there are complaints about any corrupt police official, please report such things that is why we even arrested some of our own police,” Jali said.
Residents who attended the event complained about the lack of police
being dispatched to crime scenes, and alleged that some officials used the state vehicles to transport their children to school. In
response Jali pleaded with the residents to report any police
officials using these vehicles for the wrong reasons, and gave his phone number to residents.
He further stated that the station abides by the Batho Pele principle that the service must go to people. “That is why the police must go to the scene and open cases, there is no need to travel to police station to open cases,” said Jali.
Speaker after speaker urged women to break the silence on domestic violence, to stop being overprotective of children who broke the law. “If your child needs help, come out! Others blame social networks
including Facebook, WhatsApp to be cause of prostitution and human trafficking. Parents must monitor their children when doing assignment from their cellphones and networks.”
Women were also urged to take part in community projects to fight
hunger and unemployment as well as to seek information as it was readily available for them.
View Galleries: Pienaar SAPS fights crime together with residents
