By Rapula Moatshe 
14m ago
Pretoria – ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba yesterday expressed concern about the conduct of police in Hammanskraal.
This was after an SAPS officer allegedly refused to open a docket of attempted hijacking for a complainant, who was instead advised to make peace with a suspect.
Mashaba said the complainant went to Temba Police Station on Sunday, to press charges against a Pakistani man, who allegedly wanted to hijack his car.
He claimed the suspect wanted to take the vehicle by force, and was assisted by a group of Pakistanis, who were eventually stopped by the locals.
Mashaba said a case of intimidation was eventually opened, after ActionSA provincial co-ordinator Abel Tau intervened.
Yesterday, Mashaba and his group of supporters descended on the police station, to enquire about the conduct of the police in the matter.
Speaking to the Pretoria News, Mashaba said: “We are here to ask the police to follow the spirit of the Constitution of South Africa and do what is right for the people of this country.”
He said it can’t be right that people come “to report a criminal activity and the police said ’let’s get the perpetrator to apologise’”.
He also said it was brought to his attention that’ in addition to an alleged hijacking incident, there were allegations that the Pakistanis were illegally hijacking people’s houses and buildings.
He demanded that the police act against the suspect in the alleged hijacking.
According to Mashaba, the incident took place when an unknown Pakistani man claimed ownership of a vehicle belonging to a local.
He said the suspect was joined by 100 more Pakistanis, who supported his version.
Tau said a case of intimidation was eventually opened, against the will of the complainant, who reported an attempted hijacking incident.
Visible policing head at Temba SAPS Colonel George Zwane confirmed that a case of intimidation was opened. He promised that an investigation would be carried out into the conduct of the officer, who allegedly treated the complainant badly.
Zwane said he would like to get a statement from the complainant, as to what happened when he came to open a case.
He promised that action would be taken against any officer found to have not acted properly.
“The experience they got yesterday is not something we encourage,” he told Mashaba.
Mashaba said he would be writing to mayor Randall Williams, Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) in the area, where the community has become the target of criminals perpetrating alleged property invasions, by-law infringements, attempted hijackings, and other criminal activity.
“Today’s visit was occasioned by community reports of rising criminality, which culminated in an alleged attempted hijacking by a gang of assailants, who are also alleged to be undocumented persons,” he said.
Pretoria News
Credit IOL