The time has come to tackle the increasing crime rate in Stanger which has left residents vulnerable and unprotected by the police force.
Last week the DA and ANC each called on KwaDukuza SAPS to up their game in arresting and convicting criminals after statistics showed the station had a dismal 1.4 percent conviction rate for rape, murder and robbery and zero percent conviction rate for hijacking.
In their respective demonstrations held last Friday and Saturday, both political parties said: “enough is enough”.
Showing strong support for the cause, more than 500 DA members took to the streets on Saturday, led by members of parliament John Steenhuisen, Zwakele Mncwango, and Mergan Chetty.
Also read: ANC plans to hijack DA’s anti-crime march in Stanger, says DA
The party’s march comes after MP Dean Macpherson’s calls for police minister Bheki Cele to address the community and put in place a crime intervention strategy, were ignored.
Referring to the ANC’s march which was announced last week, Macpherson called the party “insincere and schizophrenic”.
“This is reminiscent of the ANC marching against E-tolls and the VAT increase in Gauteng recently.
“The ANC cannot pretend to be a party of opposition while they are in national government and hold the keys to service delivery.
“Their march comes 24 hours ahead of the DA’s march to the very same police station but to date, not a word has been said by the ANC or its government in response to the shocking statistics.”
Addressing the crowd at the DA demonstration, Steenhuisen accused the ANC and the police of failing the people.
“We need an honest and a professional police service because we cannot fight crime if there are criminals in SAPS. In the last month, 20 senior police officers from around the country were caught for maladministration and corruption.”
On Friday, about 300 people joined the ANC march to the police station.
KwaDukuza ANC spokesperson Thandeka Ngidi said the party felt the need to urgently address Stanger’s growing crime rate. She denied any knowledge of the DA’s march.
“We know that the crime rate in Stanger is becoming worse and we need to create awareness.”
Accepting the memorandum, station commander brigadier Sbongile Mhlongo, said she would relay the messages to the provincial commissioner.
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