A CONCERNED resident of Tumahole in Parys, Free state has written an open letter to Police Minister Bheki Cele regarding their local cop shop which they said is no longer serving its purpose.
The letter was seen making the rounds on social media on Wednesday, 26 July. People slammed the government for failing to protect the community in the midst of the alarmingly high rate of crime.
According to Edgar Legoale's open letter, residents were angry and frustrated as a result of being unable to report and access the cop shop during the night.
Edgar told the minister drug lords had taken taken control of the kasi. He also accused the police of turning a blind eye.
"As a concerned member of the community, I urge you to address this problem and ensure that the station operates 24 hours a day,” he said.
“We demand that you personally visit Parys and look into the Tumahole cop shop which has not been effective in addressing crime in our community. Drug lords have taken control of our township, and the police seem to be doing nothing about it. This lack of action is contributing to an environment of fear and insecurity. It is also crucial for the SAPS to allocate a station commander from Tumahole who understands the challenges faced by the community and genuinely cares for our well-being."
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Edgar’s letter was triggered by a recent incident where a woman who was waiting for an ambulance in the police station’s charge office was allegedly chased way by cops, who allegedly said it was their knock-off time as it was extremely cold.
"This is unacceptable. Our police stations should function as community centres, providing shelter and care to those in need rather than treat them as if they are invading private property,” he said.
Provincial commissioner General Baile Motswenyane visited the police station on Wednesday, 26 July.
Motswenyane said a preliminary investigation revealed that the woman who was allegedly chased out was attended to by the officers who were in charge in the community service centre. He said they went out of ther way to assist her and see to it she was taken to the hospital with her child, something which is not part of their responsibility.
“I gave directives to the district commissioner to urgently deal with this matter so that service delivery won’t be compromised in any manner," she said.
