The community of Marikana and Mandela Section have no confidence in the local police and said they have become “legalised criminals” who are given state property with which they can commit crime.
Residents accused police officers of various crimes, including the looting of money and demanding various bribes from well known thugs and foreign nationals.
They said the area has thus become a crime hub for hitmen, prostitutes, gangsters and drugs.
Outraged residents protested outside the eMbalenhle Police Station on Wednesday, 3 May and demanded the station commander contacts the provincial commander to come and address them.
Col Majola, head of Detectives, invited the leadership of the community to a private meeting in his office.
Mr Mandla Mbatha, community leader, led the talks and said: “We have lost faith and confidence in you and we want to speak to Province, because this station has failed us.”
He said shoot-outs among Basotho foreign nationals happen daily.
Mr Mbatha said in the past few months, more than 80 people were murdered, but no arrests have been made.
“Police are doing nothing about this and when we give them information, they either ignore us or inform the culprits.
“People are murdered daily and murder suspects and robbers are walking freely in the community.
“Illegal miners who are in the country illegally, are also walking free.
“What are the police doing about it?”
The community leaders also raised concerns about illegal taverns and the rise of gangsterism in the area.
“We have more to talk about, not with you however, but with the provincial commissioner.”
eMbalenhle Police Station’s management arranged a meeting for the residents to meet with the newly appointed cluster commander, Brig Cele, on 5 May.
He will investigate and will soon meet with the Mandela Section residents to, among others, come up with ideas for dealing with the crime in the area.
The community leaders said they will give Brig Cele a chance before they take the matter to the provincial commissioner in Mpumalanga.
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