With crime, especially stock and vehicle theft, on the rise in the Nkomazi subregion, the Mpumalanga MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Jackie Macie, has urged communities to work with government and law-enforcement agencies to help fight this scourge.
Speaking during a community engagement on crime held at a local community hall on Friday July 12, Macie said the SANDF and the SAPS must also work with communities, and they need to earn respect through their actions.
“Communities must work with the police, but they should not take the law into their own hands,” Macie said. “We need to work together to find amicable and lasting solutions to the scourge of crime in this area. Crime is not just the police’s business, it needs all of us to join hands and tackle it once and for all.”
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Macie spent the better part of the day listening to and interacting with community members in the Tonga policing precinct. The residents complained about a number of issues on crime. Some of the issues raised included livestock and vehicle theft, human trafficking, murder and gender-based violence.
The community bemoaned the fact that they were losing their cattle, and once the livestock crosses to the neighbouring Mozambique or the Kingdom of eSwatini, they are difficult to recover.
Others stated that the theft of vehicles, which are later taken to Mozambique through illegal crossings, was exacerbated by residents who colluded with the thieves. They further proposed that Government should continue to dig trenches along the borderline to curb the movement of stolen goods, vehicles and livestock.
Some residents pleaded for increased support for community policing forums (CPFs) so that they can contribute more to crime prevention efforts.
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Responding to some of the community’s concerns, Macie promised that his department, as well as the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, would ensure that the project of digging trenches to curb the crossings of stolen goods, vehicles and livestock was addressed.
He also stressed the fact that while CPF members can apply for crime prevention wardens posts, they will not be considered if they have criminal records.
Macie indicated that all issues raised during the interaction would receive urgent attention and further prioritisation from the justice, crime prevention and security cluster, which he chairs.
