Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale hosted a ministerial crime prevention engagement in Eldorado Park in Gauteng on Friday.
The imbizo was hosted in the Done Mateman Hall and attended by members of the public and Deputy National Commissioners: Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, responsible for Crime Detection, and Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, responsible for Policing, as well as Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni.
The community engagement sought to establish a platform for meaningful interaction between police leadership and local communities to address criminal concerns and policing needs in the area.
Residents did not mince their words with the panel as they called for more boots on the ground.
One resident applauded SAPS, who are the only ones bringing about change. The woman called for more SAPS officers to be trained with certain commanders.
“They have been showing these gangs what the South African Police Service is. We need not 20 or 30. We need more than 100 so that Eldorado Park does not look like Westbury. Here we stand with SAPS,” she said.
Another resident, Vincent Naidoo, has called out the community for their poor attendance.
“We complain, we complain, but look who is here.”
The resident also stated that even with a new police minister, it’s always empty promises.
“We see the resources here today because we have a prominent visitor. But we go to the police station, and there are no resources. We are being disrespected as Eldorado Park. It is disgraceful the service we get from this government of ours,” Naidoo said.
Another resident claimed that police officers use vulgar language towards members of the public. She also claimed police officers in the area were on cocaine.
“Most times when they speak to you, their noses are white. I want to request to have all of the Eldorado Park cops taken for drug tests,” she urged the panel.
Resident named Portia also called out residents for covering up for their children.
“You know your child has a gun. You know what your child is busy with. But when police come, you ask the police for a search warrant. It is time we woke up. Stop blaming everyone when parents are covering for their children.
Eldorado Park ward Councillor Juwairiya Kaldine also called out the local station commander.
She said the station commander does not have an open-door policy instead, members of the public are chased out of ‘his’ police station.
“The police station doesn’t work with CPF. There is no service delivery in Eldorado Park. We have no Coloured people working at Eldorado SAPS, our children’s CVs are being thrown in the dirt bin.
“You, as the government, are failing people. You come here and make promises after promises. If there is no gangsterism here as stated, then you, as SAPS, are the gangsters here in Eldorado Park,” Kaldine said.
Deputy Minister Mathale also addressed those in attendance and said everything that was stated during the imbizo was written down.
“The objective is that after this engagement, there should be continuous interaction between the police and the people who raised issues. That will happen. We will meet individually, and we will ensure there is closure. You will be responded to, maybe not to your satisfaction,” he said.
Mathale said this imbizo has been held in other parts of the country too and stated that even in the Western Cape, residents who posed questions and highlighted their grievances were given feedback.
“We are not doing this because we have nothing to do; we do it because it is necessary and you deserve this service. We will not stop doing it. Whether there are elections or not,” Mathale said.
He said police are mandated to serve people.
“If you come to us and you do not get a service, you become angry. It’s understandable. We are supposed to be receptive, and you must feel welcome. SAPS can only succeed with the community, and it is the community that knows what is happening in the community.
He said the police successes were not because they were smart, but because they worked with communities.
“If they [police officers] do not want to serve, they must leave,” Mathale added.
