Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Ms Gabisile Shabalala, visited Standerton, Sakhile, Morgenzon and Ermelo police stations in the Gert Sibande Region on Tuesday, 6 August.
The visits were part of the department’s oversight over the police as provided in the Constitution and Ms Shabalala encouraged the police to continue working hard despite high crime levels in some of the areas.
“Citizens’ rights should always be prioritised and not those of criminals,” she said to the police in Standerton.
“Criminals who attack law enforcement officers must be accordingly dealt with.”
According to the MEC, she is aware of some of their challenges in terms of human resources and shortage of vehicles and emphasised the importance of communities working with police in the fight against crime.
Stations’ management also briefed her on various crime patterns in their policing areas.
She noted the conditions at the Sakhile Police Station and undertook to work towards the building of a new station.
Ms Shabalala also committed the department to adequately support community policing forums, CPFs, and victim-friendly facilities at stations.
“Victim-friendly facilities must be supported so that victims feel free when assisted in these centres and help in ensuring that they do not feel uncomfortable.”
She announced that meetings will be scheduled in the three districts where CPFs are active to discuss, among others, ways of enhancing the functionality of CPFs and the type of assistance to be given to these structures to make them more effective.
“It will help strengthen existing partnerships between the police and the community.”
She called on communities to support government’s crime prevention efforts and not to antagonise the police who often are on the line to protect other people’s lives.
She was expected to visit police stations in the province the following day.
