By REGINALD KANYANE
23 December 2025- Baagisani Ba No 2 in Ipelegeng Township, near Schweizer Reneke said they have taken a stand against crime. The community members said after realizing that their ward is plagued by a high rate of house-breaking, cable theft, robbery, assaults and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), they have decided to take matters into their own hands.
The Chairperson of Baagisani Ba No 2, Thabo Sehloho said they bought streetlights using their own money and with the help of the Mamusa Local Municipality, they installed them. Sehloho said their ward will no longer be dark and conducive to evil activities.
“Big up to the ward 2 community for contributing R25 each and make this happen. Our next projects are street humps and removal of illegal dumping sites. We have taken an oath to make ward 2 safer and crime-free again. We also have trained and well-equipped patrollers, who are working with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to ensure our ward is secure.
“We call on the community to cooperate with our patrollers and report any suspicious activity. Together, we can make Ward 2 a safer place,” he said.
Meanwhile, on 5 March 2025, the Chairperson of the North West Legislature Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management, Freddy Sonakile expressed satisfaction with the 3.9% overall decrease in crime recorded for this period. Sonakile said it is important to recognize that this period covers the festive season, a time when crime rates typically surge.
He further said this decrease is a testament to the impact of the various initiatives launched by SAPS during that period. Sonakile added that, however, there are still areas requiring particular attention.
“The committee has taken a specific interest in police stations that continue to register high crime rates. Notably, Ikageng in Potchefstroom, is the leading station in the province for contact crimes and contact-related crimes, ranking 50th and 18th nationally.
“Rustenburg is the highest in property-related crimes and other serious crimes in the province, ranking 6th and 13th nationally, followed by Klerksdorp and Brits. Tlhabane, Mooinooi, and Letlhabile – the top three stations in crimes detected as a result of police action,” he said.
Sonakile said Taung is the highest in the province and nationally for arson cases. He said Mogwase recorded as the highest in the province and nationally for cash-in-transit robberies, while Mmabatho recorded as the highest in the province for attempted sexual offences, ranking 2nd nationally.
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