Enough is enough.
It is time to fight back to reclaim our own from the bloody criminals who are terrorising and holding our suburbs to ransom. It means that we, as ordinary citizens, have to organise and take back our streets and drive back the opportunist thugs.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) is largely ineffective in mounting an effective strategy. Startlingly enough is that such a high percentage of the police tasked to protect us are actively engaged in criminal activity.
The only time we see the police is when they are arrogantly ticketing us in the suburbs in comfortable daylight hours for minor speed and other infringements. Is this their only function?
What about the need for regular policing and patrolling, especially at night? Burglars are entering our houses whilst we are asleep.
What are police doing about apprehending these criminals? Those police officers assigned to investigate these cases do not come back to the victims to offer any follow-ups.
In other towns these perpetrators are arrested almost immediately. I know of 20 people that have been murdered in the Forderville area from 1970 to 2011. Shocking to say that none of these murder cases have been solved.
I can only feel for the families of these victims as they sit and await closure. In 2011 a man was murdered in his house in Canna Avenue, whilst watching television.
A detective arrived at the scene in the style we see in the movies when the Federal Bureau investigators arrive at a murder scene, but sadly he does not even bother to collect any evidence from the murder scene.
Now, six years later, the family is conducting their own private investigating. An advert appeared recently in this newspaper where the brother of the deceased is offering a reward of R100 000 for more information in this matter.
Shouldn’t this be the job of the police? They are damn useless. Last December members of the public got together and patrolled our central business district (CBD) to protect the public and watch over our vehicles.
While these dedicated citizens were keeping a vigilant watch in the CBD, our boys and girls in blue were seen braaing and partying in Lambert Park and Wagendrift Dam. What is the need for a police station in Estcourt?
Maybe we should just depend on the Ladysmith and Pietermaritzburg police to act for us. They seem to be much more efficient that our Estcourt police.
A well-known detective that has moved to Newcastle once wrote the following on social media:
“Our detectives in Estcourt are too complacent. They do not take their jobs seriously and should all learn from the Oscar Pistorius trial. If you are looking for these members, do not go to the police station; rather go to your local supermarket or to the Wagendrift Dam, where you are sure to find them.”
I ask with tears in my eyes, how do these people who are supposedly hired to protect us, spend their earnings at the end of the month, knowing they did not work for it?
Defend what is yours/ours. What we have is the result of hard work and sweat. Get involved with your local Community Safety Forum.
60-Year-Old Estcourt Resident
The contents of the letter have been brought to the attention of the Uthukela Cluster Commander, General Gonya as well as the Station Commander of Estcourt, Colonel Kheswa.
We would like to thank the author for bringing the matter to our attention. Rest assured that no stone will be left unturned in an effort to get to the bottom of these allegations.
We request the contact details of the author so that we may be given the opportunity to liaise with him or her on a person basis.
Please contact Captain Struwig on 082 558 0179 or Warrant Officer Khan on 079 696 3485.
Alternatively Lt Colonel Kheswa the Estcourt Station Commander can be contacted on 036 342 9543 or 082 417 5235.
Warrant Officer Basheer Khan
Police Spokesperson
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