Katlehong SAPS faces heat as residents speak out on crime and corruption
Community members in Moleleki Ext 3 raise concerns about poor police visibility, alleged bribery, and rising crime during a meeting with SAPS leadership at the Nigeria Sports Ground.
The operational commander of the Katlehong SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Ephraim Shezi, led discussions with the community at the Nigeria Sports Ground in Sector 3.
Sector manager of the area, Constable Sizwe Ndlela, the Crime Information Management Analysis Centre, Sergeant Chabalala and the local CPF structures joined him.
To reduce crime in the area, the SAPS and CPF aimed to engage with the community of Moleleki Ext 3 to address the growing crime problem, following a rise in several categories of lawlessness involving contact crimes.
In response, the community members raised serious concerns, including a lack of police visibility and alleged corruption within the ranks, claiming some officers collected money from drug dealers and illegal foreign nationals, including unlawful spaza shop owners.
There were also allegations involving SAPS vehicles from the Katlehong precinct being used to collect bribes. The community claimed this led to poor turnaround times when they called the police to respond to complaints.
The community said the satellite police stations were situated too far for the public to reach, and that the current police station was inaccessible. Another concern was that the SAPS often turned away the public when trying to report cases.
These include complaints of common robbery, such as the theft of cellphones, and reports of street robberies by local criminals.
Shezi addressed these concerns, advising the community to record incidents of corruption and report them so that police management could take action against corrupt individuals.
