eMbalenhle community demands three police officials must be suspended
The residents also said that although they do want to co-operate with the police, they do not want to deal with the current Community Policing Forum (CPF), because “it has turned into be a political organisation”.
Resident of Mandela Section (Ext 16) marched to eMbalenhle Police Station on Monday, February 14 to demand the suspension of three police officials.
According to the residents, they went to the police station on Saturday, February 12, to report that a man had been stabbed to death, but two policewomen allegedly turned them away. The women had said that they were going off duty.
Ward 20 councillor, Masabatha Kubheka, who was leading the community to the police station on Monday, said the community wants to know what time the eMbalenhle Police Station closes.
“We want these policewomen and the crime prevention head of this station suspended, we have been chased away when we were trying to report a crime.
“I called the crime prevention head several times on Saturday and he kept on promising to send police to the scene, but this never happened,” said Khubeka.
“Are they telling us that the police station closes at 16:00 and we must not come to report a crime after hours? What time does the station open in the mornings?
“People are being killed every weekend, yet we have a police station that is only working office hours,” said Kubheka.
The community also wanted feedback on Monday on murder cases reported during the past few weeks and if any suspects have been arrested.
They want all unlicensed taverns and kitchen spots closed and accused the current head of crime prevention in eMbalenhle of not working because crime is at an all-time high.
The residents also said that although they do want to co-operate with the police, they do not want to deal with the current Community Policing Forum (CPF), because “it has turned into be a political organisation”.
Const Busi Mthethwa, eMbalenhle Police spokesperson, said the complaint against the two policewomen has been reported to the visible policing head, as imposing disciplinary steps is the responsibility of that department.
“The community must know that we are here to serve them. There are numbers on the walls of our community service centre that the community can call if they are dissatisfied with the service they received.
“We also have a suggestion box in which they can drop written views or complaints. That can assist our station management to see where are we lacking,” said Const Mthethwa.
“I request community members to make use of that suggestion box, because every morning when I open it, it is empty.
“Our police station is opened 24 hours a day. We don’t close. If such a thing did happen that our station was closed, we plead with our community to lodge a formal complaint to the station management,” said Const Mthethwa.
She also urged residents to go to the police station to report a crime and to offer information about crime in their neighbourhood.
Const Mthethwa said the police cannot hold a community meeting to update the residents about a specific case, but anyone interested to know what is happening in a particular case can contact the investigation officer for an update.
Residents managed to meet with police management on Monday and their grievances were heard. The police promised to attend to them.
eMbalenhle Police opened murder dockets after four men were murdered in unrelated incidents in the past weeks.
