Picture: The Hawks confiscated 15 AK47s in Stilfonteing during a raid on illegal mining/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
Twenty suspects were arrested for being in possession of 15 AK47s, 6 hunting rifles, 2 shotguns, and R5, boxes full of ammunition, explosives, and an undisclosed amount of money. They were arrested by the Hawks in a mining shaft in Stilfontein in the early hours of Monday.
The Hawks spokesperson, Col Katlego Mogale said, the suspects were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery to wit gold, possession of prohibited firearms, possession of ammunition, and contravention of the immigration act.
Mogale said in a continuous fight against illegal mining, the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in North West was assisted by members of the Hawks’ Tactical Management Section, Special Task Force, National Intervention Unit, District Illegal Mining Task Team, Tactical Response Team, Bidvest Protea Coin, and Harmony Gold mine embarked on an early morning raid at a mine shaft in Stilfontein.
“The operation follows weeks of surveillance into the alleged illegal mining activities of the suspects. The operation is ongoing and we cannot rule out the possibility of more arrests and more seizures.
“The suspects are expected to appear before the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on 12 October 2022. The National Head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya lauded the excellent arrests and seizures by the multi-disciplinary team and warned that this is only just the beginning,” she said.
Picture: The dilapidated Kokomeng Police Station building/File
By REGINALD KANYANE
The residents of Kokomeng village near Taung call on the South African Police Services (SAPS) to do something about the abandoned dilapidating Kokomeng Police Station building.
One of the community leaders, Tebogo Motshebe said the building poses a threat to the community as something nefarious could happen there. Now occasional vagrants camp out in a dilapidating building, which is a ‘potential disaster’.
“In essence, the basic structural components of the building are hazardous. The electric wires are exposed, ceiling and roofing have dilapidated. Remember, this police station used to serve twelve villages in the Baga-Maidi cluster.
“Unfortunately, the institution was destroyed and burned down by protesting community members in 2018. The community members embarked on a protest demanding a tarred road between Molelema and Matsheng villages,” he said.
Motshebe further said, now criminals are taking whatever is left including roof sheets, windows, and door frames. He said, however, the relevant authorities are not doing anything.
“We have written numerous letters to them regarding this matter. The services we were receiving from this police station were essential. Now, people have to travel over 50km and pay R100 to Taung Police Station just to certify just one copy of ID.
“We can no longer afford this situation anymore. We need someone to assist us in voicing our grievances. We need the police station to be revamped and function again,” said Motshebe.
He also lambasted those who torched the police station because now residents must bear the brunt.
The North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena said they had satellite police stations in Freedom Park, Magogong, Majakaneng, and Komomeng, however, three of them were torched by the communities.
Kwena said, there is a time when they had to appear before the national Parliament Portfolio Committee to explain why there cannot be a satellite police station in Komomeng village.
“Now, because of the scarcity of resources, we are coming up with mobile satellite police stations, which are effectively implemented. The people who suffer the most are in villages because they have to travel to town to access police stations.
“So, these mobile police stations will move from one village to the other to address necessary challenges from community members. We will always move the resources where there are hotspots and priorities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Constituency Head in the Greater Taung Local Municipality, Sello Seitlholo, who is also MP said: “The old satellite police station was burnt down by community members after complaints that the police failed to attend to reported criminal activities and some police officers would often come to work intoxicated.
“The police station services atleast 22 724 people residing in Kokomeng, Molelema, and 10 other smaller rural villages. On 11 March 2020, the Portfolio Committee on Police and the North West Department of Public Works met to deliberate on the state of the police station. Promises were made to fix the police station and to rebuild it as a satellite station.”
Seitlholo said, the Portfolio Committee Chairperson promised that the committee would receive monthly reports on the progress of rebuilding the police station, but to date, no report has been received.
He said they will request the DA Shadow Minister on Police, Andrew Whitfield, to again write to the portfolio committee chair for an update on the progress of establishing a satellite police station.
“There’s been no response from the Provincial Commissioner. In the presentation to the Portfolio Committee, the commissioner indicated that the building was handed over to the Department of Public Works (DPW) for repairs and that the Sub Bud Adjudication Committee of DPW had a meeting on 4 March 2020 where the repairs of Kokomeng Police Station were approved.
“The DA, therefore, will request our Provincial Spokesperson on Public Works, Freddy Sonakile, to write to the North West MEC of Public Works and Roads to find out why there has been a delay in the repair of the station,” said Seitlholo.
Picture: Police in Taung arresting EFF councillor, Oratile Segosapelo at Batlhaping Baga-Mankuroane Tribal Authority during community protests/File
By OBAKENG MAJE
The residents of Magogong village, near Taung demand a satellite police station. They said over the years, crime has increased in their area and that affects almost every citizen irrespective of their economic status.
One of the community leaders, Tebogo Morweng said, they had a satellite police station in their area, but it was shut down indefinitely a few years ago. Morweng further said, now crime is prevalent and they are planning a peaceful march to deliver a memorandum of demand.
“We are busy with petitions and we will embark on an awareness campaign. We will write letters to the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari, North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant Gen Sello Kwena, and the Minister of Police, Gen Bheki Cele.
“The population in our area has grown and we need high police visibility. Also, there are some unresolved criminal cases in our area, so we will need an update on them. Most of the crimes committed in our area are contact crime and house-breaking,” he said.
Morweng said mostly, the community complained about stock theft, domestic violence, and house-breaking, which are rife in their area. He added, now people are forced to travel over 20km to Taung Police Station for assistance, which is too far.
“The community members alleged that, usually, the police don’t respond in time when called on crime scenes as they allegedly had no vehicles. They also complain about poor police visibility, while police officers allegedly utilised the state vehicles for personal use,” he said.
Kwena said: “We have a limited number of satellite police officials that, we are placing there. It is a fact that, more police officers are needed and it is part of our human resources.
“When you look at what the president and minister said at the beginning of last year, they talked about 10 000 police personnel recruitment projects. Those aspirant police officers are in the colleges as we speak.”
He added that, they will be coming out of the colleges around 15 December 2022 to try and address the shortages within the ranks of the police. Kwena highlighted that, they had a satellite police station in Freedom Park, Magogong, Majakaneng and Komomeng.
“All three satellite police stations were torched by the communities. We will always move the resources where there are hotspots and priorities. At no stage, we will have all resources that we need in the current situation.
“However, if there is a need, we have adequate resources to respond to those issues that might be raised. It is a fact that, more police officers are needed and it is part of our human resource,” he said.
According to Crime Stats SA, housebreaking is the most common crime experienced by households in South Africa. A total of 983 000 households experienced housebreaking incidences in the 2021/22 period. More than 41,9% of households are headed by women.
The second most common type of crime experienced by households is home robbery, affecting 155 000 households.
Assault is the third most common type of crime, affecting 99 000 households. Data shows that the experience of crime by households has increased for housebreaking, home robbery, assault, and murder. The experience of theft of motor vehicles by households declined from 81 000 in 2020/21 to 42 000 in 2021/22.
The Guardian 