Police Minister Bheki Cele.
The Nyanga policing precinct will receive 29 new police officers in July to boost police visibility in areas such as Browns Farm which Police Minister Bheki Cele has described as “hell”.
Cele acknowledged it was high time to take a different strategy in dealing with protection fee or extortion matters, stating tougher actions were needed.
He was speaking at an imbizo on Wednesday at Linge Primary School, Nyanga.
The precinct recently saw two mass shootings. In one incident four men, aged between 27 and 35, were killed and five others wounded in Browns Farm, Philippi.
Five people were also shot in the Lloyd informal settlement on Govan Mbeki Road. One person survived.
Residents told Cele and other top police officials of hearing gunshots every day, increasing robbery and hijacking spots, and e-hailing services being attacked with some drivers losing their lives.
They also bemoaned extortion crimes, alleging cops were not only protecting criminals but were extortionists themselves.
A Crossroads resident accused the Nyanga police station of being corrupt with lazy officers.
“Instead of working, police officers are on their phones,” the resident said.
“This other time we spent hours waiting to be assisted. If I did not get up and shout people were not going to be helped.
“As we are on the ground trying to work with police, there are many things we are seeing. I can’t speak a lot because this is a public space. Tonight or tomorrow we might be in the news, declared dead.
“It must be known that the police here are corrupt and barely hide it. They are disappointing us,” the resident said.
Another resident expressed the same sentiment speaking about how police officers were recorded allegedly collecting protection money at a local spaza shop.
“We don’t have police in Nyanga.
There is only one constable, Mduduzi Njobe.
“Others will claim there is no vehicle when you report crime but when you pass the police station you find vehicles are parked there,” she said.
An emotional resident spoke about how her mother was gunned down in 2017.
In February this year her two children were also shot and killed while walking home. She was in the dark about any progress in the cases.
Nyanga Community Policing Forum secretary Duminsani Qwebe said the forum supported the call for a police station at Browns Farm or a mobile police station.
Cele called Constable Njobe to the podium after many residents spoke highly of him.
“The cases that residents raised, I am adopting them and will look into them,” Cele said.
“We have also noted the other unresolved cases and we understand people need closure.
“Although there are complaints of police officers not working, I am happy at least you raised one. I want to recognise him with a ministerial award. This is to encourage him and others to serve.
He is a good example of what a police officer should be,” Cele said.
“Western Cape province gets more policing resources than all other provinces. Tomorrow we are going to officially open the Makhaza police station and four new vehicles will be handed over. There will also be a sod turning ceremony in Tafelsig where a new police station will be built.
“The issue is that crime is politicised.
We need to work together. I am meeting the mayor tomorrow to address some things. Browns Farm is hell when it comes to crime.
“It will take time to build a new police station in Philippi so in the interim there will be more police officers to increase police visibility and improve community safety.”
Cape Times
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