Mthatha and the entire OR Tambo district will soon have more police, including specialised units, to deal with the spiralling number of armed robberies, extortion, murder, stock theft, taxi violence and illegal firearms.
This was the commitment from new police minister Senzo Mchunu at a meeting in the OR Tambo Hall in Mthatha on Thursday.
Mchunu said criminals had placed Mthatha under siege.
“We are bringing in police specialist units to beef up policing in the OR Tambo district,” he said to loud applause from those present, including municipal bosses, traditional and business leaders, the clergy, policing forums, youth structures, crime-fighting activists and volunteers.
Time frames, police personnel numbers and the budget would be finalised in a meeting on Thursday evening.
More police vehicles would be deployed to Mthatha.
“Other than the extra police personnel, of course we are going to strengthen our intelligence because we realised that our current criminal intelligence is not at the level that we want.
“We are going to appoint an acting head of crime intelligence here as soon as possible and we are going to reinforce that appointment.
“We are confident that from now onwards we are going to leave no stone unturned in terms of confronting crime in the Eastern Cape.
“People are no longer sure whether crime is out of control or under control.
“Even we from the police cannot say with certainty that it is under control here.
“People are complaining that drug distribution and abuse are rife.
“They are also complaining about murders, stock theft, the illegal occupation of public buildings, extortion protection fees, and all of that. These are the dominant crimes here.
“We have to take strong measures to deal with that. Crime has increased and it is very high, but it is not out of control.”
Mchunu said there would be a meeting with the national, provincial and district police to improve effective policing in the district.
“We know police here are overwhelmed and we have heard people complaining that they have lost confidence in the police.
“We want to change that perspective and restore confidence in the police among communities which we serve and protect.”
Leaders of various sectors including traditional leaders led by AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, the clergy and business have spoken out about crimes crippling Mthatha’s economy.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane has repeated his desire to see the military descend on the Eastern Cape to assist in fighting the taxi violence and construction mafia extortion.
Also at the meeting were national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola, community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha, former deputy justice minister Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa, deputy national commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili and provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene.
They listened as residents described how crime had plunged the region into crisis as murder, extortion, gun-running, kidnapping, livestock theft and rape numbers ballooned.
Unresolved cases in the area include the murder of OR Tambo district municipality accountant Namhla Mtwa and the gunning down of popular entertainer and club owner Zwelinzima “DJ PK” Dweba, who both died in a hail of bullets more than two years ago.
There was also the murder of Apostolic Faith Mission senior pastor Bulelani Magadla, 65, who was shot 13 times in front of his wife near Libode in July.
People raised concerns about the hijacking of government properties and a land-grabbing syndicate in Mthatha.
Mchunu warned the authorities would deal harshly with those involved in extortion.
He told people not to pay protection fees but to report such incidents to the police.
Community leaders including King Dalindyebo, Nkosi Mfundo Mtirara, Nkosi Dumisani Gwadiso, retired provincial organised crime head Major-General Kholekile Galawe, who had 24 sheep stolen in Tsolo, crime-fighting activists such as Shakes Mbengo and the Eastern Cape Chamber of Business’s Vuyile Ntlabata spoke of how the crime was affecting people and businesses negatively.
Dalindyebo spoke strongly against moves he said were aimed at removing OR Tambo district commissioner Major-General Phumzile Cetyana.
“We cannot allow that to happen. Since Cetyana’s appointment, we have seen a difference in fighting crime in this district.
“Why remove a hard-working man, minister and national commissioner? You must revisit that move.”
Other speakers accused police of colluding with criminals.
Mabuyane spoke strongly about extortion, stock theft and murders
He called upon Mchunu to support his letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa for the military to be deployed in the Eastern Cape “to assist in dealing with extortion and construction mafia who demand millions of rand on road projects, delaying development”.
“Our police are working hard and are overwhelmed. Our province is chronically under-resourced and we need the assistance of the military.
“We also need police helicopters to be based here to deal with issues like cash-in-transit heists,” he said.
Extortion was also rife in Mthatha, Gqeberha, Ngcobo, Willowvale and eMaXesibeni.
Mabuyane warned that the shore along the Wild Coast needed to be closely monitored.
Mchunu will be in Gqeberha on Friday.
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