Residents want murder case moved from eMbalenhle Police Station
The Govan Mbeki First Movement has instructed foreign tuck shop owners not to operate until the suspect who shot a young man at a spaza shop on September 13, is handed over to the police.
Residents in Ext 12 in eMbalenhle demand that the case of a young man fatally shot, allegedly by a foreign national at a tuck shop, be removed from the local police station.
They made the demand during a community meeting on September 14, attended by eMbalenhle Police Station commander Colonel Khuselwa Matrose and other officers.
The meeting followed recent engagements between the Govan Mbeki First Movement and foreign tuck shop owners. Community members accused the eMbalenhle SAPS of being untrustworthy and alleged that officers accepted bribes from foreign business owners.
Matrose responded that transferring the case from her station was not an issue and could be immediately done if the community agreed on which station should handle it.
Residents suggested the matter be referred to Nkomazi in Nelspruit, arguing that it would be easier for the victim’s family to follow up and that the case might undergo a more thorough investigation there. Matrose expressed disappointment at the accusations against her officers.
“It is concerning that people are killed daily in eMbalenhle, and as the police, we are rarely called into meetings where the community demands assistance in arresting suspects. I am shocked to hear that you don’t trust us, but at the same time, you called us to this meeting. All of us want the suspect arrested,” she said.
She explained that removing foreign-owned tuck shops was not the responsibility of the SAPS but of the Govan Mbeki Municipality, which issues trading permits.
“What is surprising is that these tuck shops are in your yards. Some of you rent to these foreign nationals, but now you want it to be a SAPS issue,” she added.
On the murder case, Matrose revealed that after the incident, the suspect allegedly jumped into a neighbour’s yard, where he hid while carrying a large sum of cash.
She warned that such actions hinder investigations and amount to defeating the ends of justice. She also condemned the looting of tuck shops following the incident.
“On the day of the incident, I was shocked to see community members running with groceries from the shop where someone had just been killed. You always complain about expired food, but you loot the same food. If a case is opened, we will arrest all those involved in looting,” said Matrose.
Community leader John Nkosi urged residents to take responsibility and work with the police.
“I understand the frustrations of our SAPS. As a community, we also have our faults. For example, we send our undisciplined children to school, expecting teachers to fix them.
“The same is happening here. Our children spend time at tuck shops without buying anything. What are they doing there? We need to take responsibility,” Nkosi said.
Meanwhile, the Govan Mbeki First Movement has instructed foreign tuck shop owners not to operate until the suspect is handed over to the police. While some shops remain closed, others continue to trade.
