Alexandra residents can breathe a sigh of relief as talks to elect a new Community Policing Forum (CPF) executive begin, almost six months after the interim structure’s term expired.

Alexandra Police Station commander Brigadier Vusimuzi Ngubane confirmed that the police will host two community meetings to discuss the status of the CPF before announcing an election date. The first meeting is scheduled for September 19 at the Altrec Sports Complex at 10:00, with a follow-up meeting on September 26. Ngubane said police will also discuss crime in the area.

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This comes months after residents raised concerns that Alexandra lacked a formal CPF structure and that the interim leadership had served beyond its mandate.

Ngubane acknowledged that electing a new permanent structure is long overdue and admitted this has been a major concern in the community. “As you know, we do not have a permanent CPF structure. We had an interim structure whose term expired at the end of March, and now we have to elect a new one.”

He said station management wants to host public meetings before proceeding to elections. Alexandra has a number of organisations that have previously participated in such meetings, including patrollers and groups such as the Ziyakhala Movement, whose leader, Dumisani Nkosi, is among the most vocal advocates for CPF elections.

Earlier this year, the main concern among community members, including Nkosi, was that police efforts to convene an election meeting were stalling while the interim committee served past its constitutionally mandated period. Nkosi said those concerns remain.

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He noted that when no permanent CPF structure exists, an interim committee selected to serve should act for 90 days, yet the recent structure has remained in place since its election last year.

The station attempted to elect a CPF structure last year, but the process was marred by complaints from residents dissatisfied with nominations. These complaints prompted police to establish an interim committee, chaired by Sibabalo Mgijima.

The meetings are meant to ensure the station avoids repeating previous issues where residents were unhappy with the structure.

Nkosi said if the police want to avoid past mistakes, they must follow proper procedures. “They must do it properly and start with sectors,” he said, adding that police must announce an election date to resolve the matter.

Ngubane believes meeting with the community before setting an election date will clarify key details. “Residents must be clear and ask questions, and we will answer them and let them know who qualifies and who does not qualify to serve on the CPF structure,” he said.

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