Crime a needless obstacle for youth to overcome – Police
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Gen Christine Morakaladi, says crime in Mankweng is becoming a serious obstacle for the youth to stay focused on their studies.
LIMPOPO – Morakaladi addressed scores of young and old people during a police imbizo held at Ga-Mothapo in Nobody last Wednesday.
The imbizo came a day after University of Limpopo students marched to Mankweng police station demanding a better protection from the police officers.
Speaking during the imbizo, she said violent crimes remain prevalent each year following the crime statistics and the high levels of crime pose a serious threat to the emergent democracy.
“Children are the future leaders of this country and need us to teach them a better life while they are still young.”
“We need the rest of the communities to report to us all the drug lords, expose the evil bits and also to socialise responsibly and avoid lonely night’s movements.”
She said crime for human and children is still a threat in the province and that should not be undermined.
“We appeal to every man to respect women and children because they have rights to be human and to also walk free and socialise anywhere at any time,” she said.
“It should start with us as a community to fight the crime so that everyone can walk freely during night without any fear of being injured or abducted,” she explained.
A robbery victim Alpheus Makwela (62), said he was been robbed several times and that forces him to stay awake during the night.
“I experienced four burglaries in a period of three weeks and that affected my soul,. This is becoming too much and therefore as community we should fight it,” said Makwela.
Community Police Forum (CPF) provincial board member, Frans Kgasago, said due to crime high rate at Mankweng area, schools are now targeted as a great spot to sell drugs.
“Alcohol and drugs is a serious challenge in the area, however because our government of today is prepared to fight the crime within our communities, we urging our people to join us to ensure that we overcome this problem we are experiencing at our areas,” said Kgasago.
“We urge everyone in society to play a complimentary and supporting role to the police officers, in ensuring that our people are safe and continue to live freely in their places of residence,” she said.
Lekgotla La Motswikitswiki chairperson, Phillip Manale, said it is not a responsibility for SAPS only to combat crime within their communities.
“If the drug dealers say the night belongs to them, we also say the night belongs to us. We are not going to rest until we combat this problem in our area,” said Manale.
