New police stations open in Mopani District to combat rising crime

The South African Police Service (Saps) in the Mopani district of Limpopo says it is expanding the footprint of law enforcement in areas with high crime volumes.

It mentioned Muyexe and Bolobedu where two new police stations will be opened by Police Minister Bheki Cele and Saps national commissioner Fannie Masemola today.

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Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said the two police stations were “in line with the government’s commitment to providing policing services in high-density areas and to bring policing services closer to communities”.

Crime stats

He said common crimes in these areas included “sexual assaults, rapes, housebreakings and robberies, among others”.

The 2021-2022 statistics for the Mopani district were reported to have shown an “increase of 10.8% in contact-related crimes and 0.2% in other serious crimes”.

However, there were some decreases reported in the district, which has 17 police stations.

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“There was a decrease in crimes detected as a result of police action -10.1% in property-related crimes and -0.9% in contact crimes,” said Mashaba.

He added that “with increased police presence and quicker response times, residents can expect a more safer and secure environment”.

Senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies William Els said it was “very important to have access, and for police to be among the people as that is one of the Batho Pele principles. People will be able to build a relationship with police and they can form a partnership against crime.”

Limpopo police say that the new stations are equipped with modern technology and resources, which will enhance the effectiveness of their work.

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