‘Mogale needs pro-active and caring policing’
"It is ironic that Mogale City Local Municipality indicated that it supports the shutdown, when they, together with the police and the Department of Home Affairs, are all responsible for the situation."
The Democratic Alliance (DA) called for calm in Krugersdorp after structures such as houses allegedly belonging to drug lords and other criminal elements were torched by community members yesterday, 22 January.
A statement released by Alan Fuchs, the DA Constituency Head for Mogale City, states that the recent acts of vigilantism in Krugersdorp and the violent protests by residents aimed at shutting the town down are clear signs that residents have lost faith in the ability of the local government and police to keep communities safe.
Read more: #KrugersdorpWarOnDrugs the chaos in photos and videos
“Krugersdorp has been badly affected by the scourge of drugs and lawlessness. The police has simply not been able to meet its constitutional obligation to deal with the crisis and it is alleged that some policemen are involved in the criminal racket and not responding to the cries of the community,” Fuchs said.
“Despite numerous interactions with police, the lack of progress in dealing with the situation has given rise to residents venting their frustrations and fanning vigilantism as well as xenophobia. While police inaction is unacceptable, those who take the law into their own hands must be held accountable. The rule of law cannot be undermined in the fight against criminality.
“It is ironic that Mogale City Local Municipality indicated that it supports the shutdown, when it, together with the police and the Department of Home Affairs, are all responsible for the situation.
“A committee consisting of these entities was formed to try and co-ordinate strategies to deal with drugs and other forms of criminality, but as we have come to expect from government entities, a lack of commitment and poor implementation resulted in failure.”
His statement further reads that requests have been made by residents to bring in specialised units to assist the sparse police resources available in Krugersdorp, but this too has fallen on deaf ears.
Read here: #KrugersdorpWarOnDrugs: Avoid these areas
“Home Affairs has a specific and important role to play in ensuring that mob justice does not become the order of the day. It is alleged that the drug dealers are undocumented immigrants and if this is true, then police must deal with the criminality while Home Affairs must deal with the matter of documentation. Government has abandoned its citizens and the result is anarchy and chaos on our streets.
“The time has come to replace politicians who have proven that they are not up to the task. The people deserve a new government that is willing and able to protect its citizens. Mogale City deserves a new beginning.”
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