The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has approached Provincial Police Commissioner Nneke Ledwaba last week with the request for an urgent meeting to address the effective implementation of urban and rural safety plans in the hope of seeing a proactive approach and strong stance against crime.
The DA’s expressing concern about a situation perceived to be spiralling out of control was sparked by a witnessed spike in the murder rate as well as farm attacks in the province the past five weeks.
Speaking to Polokwane Observer outside Polokwane Magistrate’s Court prior to the appearance of the suspect in the brutal murder of Tanya Wiers last Thursday, DA Provincial Leader Jacques Smalle said he banked on positive response and that Ledwaba would adhere to their request. Smalle also expressed the hope that the request would bring together stakeholders driving certain organisations within communities and that input would result in fruitful negotiations and discussions and, on the other hand, visibility of the Police.
The Provincial Police Commissioner’s response to DA calls in the past has not been that favourable but it usually took a deed like Wiers’s murder for certain people’s eyes to open, bring communities together and force stakeholders to stand together, Smalle said.
Her brutal murder has shocked the nation and it was very critical to say to the judiciary to take a harsh stance against criminals and to law enforcers that it was time to build trust and improve their profile within communities. Smalle stressed that people didn’t support and have enough trust in the Police because they weren’t visible enough and didn’t react quick enough. “We also take note that we can’t bring back Tanya, but we can hopefully stop any future incidents that relate to brutal attacks like (that of) Tanya.”
At the time close to 30 DA activists armed with placards gathered opposite the court building. Touching on the message they portrayed, Smalle explained that they were opposing bail, that they were in support of the human rights of everyone – especially women – as well as standing up against the type of aggression witnessed. Shortly after their initial gathering members of the Public Order Policing Unit (Pops) arrived to disperse the group after having received a complaint from the National Conservative Party (NCP) in the province. NCP Provincial Leader Valerie Byliefeldt afterwards informed Polokwane Observer that she had opposed the presence of the DA outside court and that the handful of NCP members protesting with placards opposite Jack Botes Hall, situated around the corner from the court building, then were the only ones granted permission in terms of the Gatherings Act.
This week Smalle also directed correspondence to Ledwaba to probe and stop Police deployment to meetings of the ruling party in regions of the province on the weekend and ensure the institution of an investigation into African National Congress (ANC) abuse of the Police. In a media statement Smalle indicated he had also alerted Police Minister Nathi Nhleko to this effect.
He continued to reveal that more than 50 uniformed Police officials had been used to oversee and protect ANC branch elections and nomination meetings around Limpopo next weekend. “This is a deplorable abuse of state resources by the ANC, which would rather protect itself than protect the people of South Africa.” He continued saying Ledwaba had to further explain reports that more Police officers would be used by the ANC this coming weekend, including at the upcoming Mopani regional elective conference.
“It is unacceptable that the ANC is using (the) South African Police Service as a private security firm to babysit their unruly members during meetings due to heightened factional in-fighting. The ANC’s internal collapse should not be taking police officers off the beat where they should be protecting South Africans from crime.”
Smalle referred to the latest crime statistics pointing at a significant increase in crimes such as common assault, sexual offences, robbery, hijacking, attempted murder and murder in Limpopo, and said yet the ANC commandeered the Police for internal purposes and to aid political agendas rather than fighting crime in hotspots.
Story & photo: YOLANDE NEL
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