Stakeholders within the Eastern Cape Development Indaba, a non-partisan, non-denominational and inter-sectoral structure comprising various stakeholders, have called for drastic measures to be speedily implemented to arrest the high crime rate in Mthatha.
The call was made as the structure hosted police minister, Bheki Cele, at Dan’s Lodge outside Mthatha on Wednesday, July 26, where the high crime rate in Mthatha came under the spotlight.
Cele was accompanied by National Police Commissioner, General Fanie Masemola, together with senior national and provincial management of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Zolisa Madikizela, from a non-profit organisation called Eagle Watchdog, which mainly deals with thwarting bank card cloning syndicates in Mthatha, called for the army to be deployed to Mthatha for at least six months, to deal with the high rate of crime.
“Policing is dead in Mthatha, because police officers are part of the corruption that is happening in the area.
“There is evidence we have gathered and are following up on cases where police officers are involved in corruption with the district commissioner,” said Madikizela in motivation for their call for the army to be deployed in Mthatha.
She further lambasted the Madeira Police Station in the Mthatha CBD as the most corrupt and useless police station, and called for it to be closed.
“We did research in King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality on issues of crime, and we found that there are internal SAPS matters that contribute to non-attendance of issues threatening society. We also found that SAPS is not well equipped with required investigators, which contributes to the high crime rate in Mthatha,” said Mawande Naki from GIBBS Africa Peace Corps.
Police minister, Bheki Cele, said that he would be bringing all the cabinet ministers who serve in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) to Mthatha soon, to attend and respond to the issues raised by the stakeholders.
“The issues raised in this meeting must be responded to urgently and vigorously by the police. Part of the solution is to address the drivers of crime through an integrated crime prevention approach with lends support from communities and other quarters of society.”
The meeting further resolved for a plan to be produced that will be sustainable in dealing with crime in Mthatha.
