Police Minister Bheki Cele has lashed at a community member who suggested that police officers should be sjamboked. This was during his visit to Finetown for a Ministerial Imbizo. He was supported by the Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko and SAPS General Fannie Masemola. Cele said people should refrain from making such comments and declaring war on the police.“If you’re saying you will no longer tolerate corruption from police and therefore you will use force and sjambok them ,then we are going to have a huge problem. When the police retaliate with the weapons that they have ,they are going to end up being the bad guys.”
GOOD COP, BAD COP
He emphasised that instead of the community working against the police they should work with them. He mentioned that it does not sit well with him that everywhere he goes there’s a complaint about the police not doing their job. “I’ve heard all the complaints and they are similar in that people want the police to be rotational because they stay in one place for long, they are perceived as corrupt. Residents say the police are protecting criminals and working with them and I cannot defend them on that. As much as there are good cops, we also have bad cops,”said Cele. He said he has delivered the 15 vans and mobile police station that the residents asked for as well amabherethe although they aren’t as many as the residents hoped for.
CRIME, UNEMPLOYMENT & DRUGS
Premier Lesufi said he noted that the residents had three concerns- crime, unemployment and drugs. “The matter of drugs is a major issue and if we as government fail to address it, then we are not doing justice to our people. All the relevant government departments must pull in their resources so that we can address this emergency. It needs our immediate attention.” He said they have a programme that helps young people who want to quit their habit. “We’ve taken 7000 young people to rehabilitate them for six months. We will also equip them with the relevant skills so that they don’t go back to their habits. We will pay for their fees and give them jobs.I’m asking you as parents to bring them to me because the ones that we have taken in are just a drop in the ocean. 0800 228827 is for the drug line. It’s a 24 hour line that will put you through to a social worker who will know how to assist.He said fighting crime was a challenge because people are unemployed.“We want to create jobs for the educated and young people so that they can uplift their families.
GUNS EVERYWHERE
Nomonde Mabusela a resident claimed that her late father was a police officer and asked Cele to pay cops more.“The reason why we have corrupt cops who take bribes is because they don’t get paid enough. They pay for a bond and a car and after that they are broke. Even in death they have nothing to show for their long years of service,it’s very sad,”she said .Lesego Mabuse who is a recovering drug addict said he sees most of the youth being sunk into drugs because they have nothing to do. “There’s nothing to do and there are no good schools around .The schools that are available are dangerous, kids smoke drugs and carry weapons to school. They even kill each other.” He said he was on drugs for 17 years and has been sober for four years and he wishes that other young people get the same opportunity he got to get clean. “There are no facilities, there’s nothing to do here and that’s why people get into crime in order to keep busy and survive.” Cecelia Maine A mother who lost two of her children during the shooting said she has no clue how far the case is .She said her kasi is riddled with unlicensed firearms and drugs. “There’s too many guns circulating. What we are witnessing on a weekly basis is horrific asour children are dying. We are afraid of going to the shops .please give us police officers who want to work and will be consistent in doing their job."
