“eMbalenhle is no exception to crime” says CPF chairman
Tony Mabizela, one of the community leaders who are concern about the eMbalenhle CPF confirmed they were supposed to have a meeting with the station commander on Thursday, September 8, but they decided against it.
eMbalenhle is experiencing a problem with crime similar to any other township in the country.
This is according to Joseph Mhlongo, the chairman of the eMbalenhle Community Policing Forum (CPF).
Mhlongo said this when he joined Col Maria Sibanyoni, the eMbalenhle Police Station commander, and an official from the Mpumalanga Department of Safety, Security and Liaison for a meeting with a group disgruntled with the CPF.
This group did not arrive for the meeting.
“It is not the role of just the CPF and police to fight crime. We also need the community’s help.
“We were supposed to meet with those people who are concerned about the CPF and to listen to their concerns but they didn’t show up.”,
Mhlongo said the community must remember that some CPF members are employed and cannot attend meetings during the day.
“No one approached us or raised their concerns to us. They merely demanded to see the station commander and then wanted to have the CPF committee disbanded.”
Mhlongo said the CPF is working because they hold community meetings, and crime awareness campaigns and they always call sector meetings.
He also said the CPF has also changed sector managers after the community complained.
Mhlongo alleged that some of the concerned community members want to turn the CPF into a political issue.
According to Mhlongo, the crime statistic of eMbalenhle vary from month to month.
Tony Mabizela, one of the community leaders who are concerned about the CPF, admit that they were supposed to have had a meeting with the station commander on Thursday, September 08.
However, they decided to abandon the meeting.
Mabizela claimed the station commander misused her power.
He accused Col Sibanyoni of listening only to the CPF committee and not the community.
He said the crime is increasing and the community is tired of rape, murder and robbery.
“I sit in a crime forum meeting every month and the people are seeing red.
“We are now taking the station commander’s issue straight to the community. They are the only people who will decide to remove her and her non-functional CPF.”
Mabizela said residents have a problem not getting hold of the CPF chairman because he is a shift worker.
“His cell phone is always off and the station commander doesn’t want to hold community meetings without him.”
Mabizela wants someone who will deal with crime-related issues immediately.
He said the disgruntled group will soon meet the eMbalenhle community to find a solution to their issue with the eMbalenhle Police Station.
Ridge Times contacted the eMbalenhle Police spokesperson, Const Busi Mthethwa about Mabizela’s allegations levelled against the station commander, but she didn’t comment in time of going to press.
