Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Pat Ngomane made a call to parents to stop taking their children who committed crime to traditional healers for protection. Ngomane said that the fight against crime can never be won if there are people who are still protecting criminals instead of surrendering them to the police.
Ngomane was speaking during a Safety and Security Imbizo yesterday [24 June 2017] in Leandra where stakeholders within the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster met with the community of Govan Mbeki Municipality to address crime issues in the area.
The JCPS Cluster consist of the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, the South African Police Service, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Justice, Department of Correctional Services and the South African National Defence Force.
Ngomane said that parents and those protecting criminals using muthi were defeating the ends of justice and as a result perpetrating crime.
“What kind of parents are those who hide criminals in their homes while innocent community members become victims of their children’s doings? We don’t want to kill them, but to keep them in a place where their morals will be regenerated, so we ask you to please surrender them to us,” he said.
The MEC added that community members must not be spectators in the fight against crime but they should be part of the implementation of strategies for crime prevention.
He said to the community members, “The development and success of a community does not lie in the hands of government or community leaders only but it must begin with you. You are the ones who can bring change in the communities you live in.”
He pleaded also with traditional leaders, healers and pastors to use the space that they occupy to assist government to preach the gospel of safety and a crime free environment.
The community members were also given a chance to ask questions to the MEC and members of the JCPS Cluster with regards to issues of crime. They complained most about the selling of Nyaope to young people, also alleging that some police officers are involved.
They added that sometimes, police were delaying to respond to crime scenes and alleged that some officers misuse state vehicles.
They have made a call to the MEC to bring the Department of Justice to explain to them the processes of bail granting as they alleged that some suspects of crime who were arrested for serious crimes received free bail.
Meanwhile, Community Police Forum member in Leandra Mr. Tony Mlotsoagae said that police must be provided with sufficient resources to service communities to prevent attacks and complaints from community members.
He also indicated that inaccessible roads made it difficult for police to get to crime scenes therefore made a call to government to intervene.
On the same note, Mpumalanga SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma made a call to the community members to report any corrupt activity by police officers. He said that police officers who were corrupt will be removed from the police force.
He also pleaded with community members to register to become police reservists to assist in crime prevention as the number of police officers was very little to attend to the millions of people in the country.
He further made a call to parents to protect their children in order to stop the trafficking of children who are later abused or killed for muthi.
Ends.
Issued by Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison
Enquiries: Joseph Mabuza
Contacts: (013) 766 1575
082 678 1450