By Lutando Ndamase
Nyanga - Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Kgomotso Phahlane, says government will increase its efforts to fight crime in Nyanga on the Cape Flats.
Phahlane also condemned the destruction of property and encouraged members of the community to participate in the fight against crime.
“We will bring in measures to respond to the burning needs of our communities. If, for example, we were to bring in a mobile police station as a stopgap measure to address service delivery needs, we will do so… We cannot shy away from our responsibility of providing services to our people,” he said.
Phahlane said the South African Police Service (SAPS) will work with the City of Cape Town Metro Police to reduce the shortage of police vehicles.
The Acting National Commissioner on Wednesday visited Nyanga as part of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster’s outreach to the area, which battles a high murder rate.
The visit is part of government’s National Imbizo Focus Week, aimed at engaging communities on issues that matter the most to them.
Before addressing residents, Phahlane, the Police Deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu and State Security Deputy Minister Ellen Molekane paid a visit to informal traders, taxi drivers and commuters at the Philippi-East taxi rank to talk to them about their daily challenges.
Philippi-East is also an area that has high rates of crime. According to police statistics released this year, Nyanga is one of the top 10 areas in the Western Cape faced with a high murder rate.
Deputy Minister Sotyu stopped over in the heart of the informal settlement and spoke to learners, who were walking home from school, and urged them to always report abuse against children to the police.
Deputy Minister Molekane and the rest of the JCPS Cluster walked around the area to talk to men and women of all ages, where they heard reports of “unbearably high” rates of crime against women.
Ensuring safer communities
Addressing residents in a formal meeting, the Deputy Minister Sotyu said government was responsive and that it would respond to the people’s complaints.
Some residents voiced their concern that police do not involve residents when planning their operations. The Deputy Minister said, however, that SAPS could not share sensitive operational information with communities to avoid the information being received by spies sent by criminals.
Western Cape Commissioner Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula said they would increase their visibility in the area.
“We have 75 vehicles available at the police station to be utilised and to be responsive to the needs of our communities… We now have a satellite police station based at Umgulube Street at Philippi railway station,” he said.
He said since August 2016, there have been a number of operations by police in the Nyanga area. According to Jula, police managed to arrest 23 650 suspects, confiscating 285 guns and more than 68 million millilitres of alcohol. He said the operation is expected to continue as police increase efforts to fight crime. – SAnews.gov.za
