Metro police defend themselves against angered Catholics

Metro police spokesperson Wayne Minaar said based on the information he had, no fines were issued to the church-goers. “There were notices issued to inform the owners of intended prosecution, which meant that a decision has not yet been made to issue fines to the owners of the vehicles.”

In the article Catholics blast Metro police, week ending 15 August, Father Petrus Shiya described the Metro police as “arrogant”, and “an abuse of power by trigger happy people because they have the authority”. Father Shiya said the Metro police could have handled the matter differently.

“I was surprised because our members have been parking there for years, they should have engaged the church before their abusive actions, this matter could have been resolved amicably.” He said the police action was “unreasonable, aggressive, disrespectful and intimidating”.

Father Shiya added, “The church is a place where people go to praise the Lord in harmony, and if they are intimidated where else must they go?”

A parishioner, Margaret Malan said she had attended the Maryvale Catholic Church for the past 40 years and had always parked in St Mary’s Road, opposite the church, for the 8am Mass on Sunday mornings. “In St Mary’s Road there are no no-parking signs, there are no yellow or red lines down the sides of the road. Do I stop going to church as there will be a ticket every time I come out after Mass?”

Another parishioner, Frank Colbert, said he was surprised to see Metro police issuing parking fines. He also insisted that there were no no-parking signs on the street.

Minaar defended the Metro police’s actions by adding that according to Regulation 304 of the National Road Traffic Act of 1996, no car shall stop opposite or alongside any other vehicle where such roadway is less than nine metres wide. He added, “Officers indicated that the road was too narrow for other cars to pass.”