It appears that there is a chosen community other than the one of we as the tax payers. This chosen community provides the SAPS with certain favours – interpret this any way you like.
This brings me to the question as a loyal DA voter (supporter) to what the efforts of the DA are to ensure equality living conditions for all especially when this issue has been raised by Jacques Pelzer – Advertiser of February 28.
It is with dismay that I find myself writing this letter as I always believed in live and let live, however I have been forced by witnessing unacceptable police behaviour and conduct to put pen to paper.
We’ve been residents of Springs for 64 years and the last eight in town itself, relatively a stone’s throw away from both the Van Riebeeck Hotel (Foxy’s ladies bar) and the New Haven, amongst others. These social gathering spots are havens of crime and the SAPS conduct leaves many residents speechless.
On September 14, at 3:45am, we were woken by a continuous thumping noise. As concerned residents we jumped out of our beds to investigate. It was coming from one of the very social spots around the Springs theatre.
Amazingly a police vehicle was parked at the theatre with a white vehicle in front of it without any effort to request the social spots to turn down this thumping noise (maybe this is music to their ears but certainly a disturbing noise to the surrounding area’s residents).
After a while I realised that this was not the case why the SAPS was there, what a foolish resident I was to think that the SAPS was there to do something about this.
I decided to phone the Springs police to go and address this noise as the vehicles were parked close by and could just walk across the street to request the establishment to turn down the noise.
The response of the constable on the other end of the line was that she will dispatch a different vehicle to address my request. With satisfaction that this was going to be resolved, I hung up.
Then to our horror a police vehicle came down Second Avenue in the opposing direction of the one way.
The vehicle came to the point where the other SAPS vehicle was parked, made a U-turn and stopped behind his colleagues, got out of the vehicle and engaged in the conversation. Yet again no attempt to assist the tax paying community of Springs to turn the noise down.
A short while later a red vehicle with white markings drove up to the SAPS, two individuals got out of the vehicle, walked to where the conversation was taking place and said something to the police officers.
They all got in their separate vehicles and left in a hurry, all three of the vehicles making a U-turn again, opposing the normal direction of the one way.
The white vehicle, however, remained. A couple of minutes later the first police vehicle returned, stopped at the white vehicle again and once again engaged in conversation. Again no attempt was made to serve the tax paying residents.
A short while later the vehicles drove off together. Needless to say the thumping noise / music prevailed. The time now was 4.35am, nearly an hour later.
The police has surely now become offenders themselves by knowing of this continuous problem without addressing it. In other words they become co-robbers as we are being robbed of our sleep night after night.
Note that on a previous occasion, I have phoned the SAPS and was duly informed by a captain from SAPS that this establishment has a license to be noisy, sorry meant to say play music, till 11pm. I am concerned that 11pm is far from 4.35am and continue even after 7am in the morning (as on September 15).
Now I would like to raise three questions and would appreciate a response:
- Council the place is filthy dirty, when was the last time this establishment was visited by a health inspector and cleared as a standard acceptable environment and where are the results of noise pollution tests done, if any was carried out? If you have not done this yet, I would highly appreciate you doing so and address the non-conformities.
- Captain Ramphora at the Springs police, is this normal behaviour we as the tax paying residents of Springs should become accustomed to and accept that we will not be supported by community servants whose salaries are being paid out of our taxes? I am curious, is this SAPS South Africa or just SAPS Springs behaviour?
- Dean Stone, DA councillor, what has the DA done to combat these problems?
Anonymous
I take note of the resident’s concern.
Let me just clarify that as ward councillors of the Ekurhuleni metro we have no oversight role over the police.
SAPS is a national competency.
I cannot comment on the behaviour of the police conduct on this particular morning.
I, however, would like the resident to contact me on my cellphone number 082 806 4584. I would gladly like to meet with him/her so that we can put a petition together instructing the health department to get involved in serving this area and at least do a study on compliance of these institutions that are being mentioned in the letter.
I do, however, feel it is important for the resident to take note that the DA is in opposition in the Ekurhuleni metro, and not the ruling party.
Therefore if there is no motivation from the ruling party, namely the ANC, to combat noise pollution or to take ownership of our CBD, then it will continue to be a frustration for the resident as well as the ward councillor.
I would like to encourage the resident to keep on voting for the DA, as our record in areas where we do govern, like the Western Cape and Midvaal, speaks for itself.
With the support of the voters we can gain control of Gauteng, and start making a difference in the communities that desperately need service delivery.
Clr Dean Stone
The issue of noise and closing time of liquor outlets is refer to flash/department that deal liquor outlets for their attention.
In regards with public servants are obliged by law to serve any person irrespective of colour, race, gender or any political party irrespective of political affiliation.
Acting Station Commander: Springs
L T KOMA
