Rebone Motlhokwane
By Rebone Motlhokwane
Randfontein police station has promised the community of Mohlakeng, West of Johannesburg, that they will reopen the local satellite police station and deploy a group of reservists to help patrol the area from September.
This comes after protests by Mohlakeng residents in June. Protestors complained about the increase in crime since the closure of the local satellite police station and demanded that their police station be reopened and that street patrollers be protected as they were being attacked.
According to Brigadier Mashole Jacob Manamela, there are reservists currently at the SAPS Training College, and they will be deployed to work at Mohlakeng satellite police station by September, after they finish their training.
He also said sector vehicles will visit patrollers and check on them while they are patrolling to keep them protected.
Mmapule Noge, a community member and patroller said that Manamela has always been singing the same tune but no action is being taken by police.
“He is always saying the same thing, that the police will come and help us but when we phone them they never come, not once have they showed face,” said Noge.
She further said that she will no longer take part in being a patroller as she was stabbed, and no longer trusts the police to help.
“I no longer want anything to do with patrolling, this time I might be killed,” said Noge.
The Gauteng crime stats fourth quarter presentation ranked the Randfontein station as 4 out of 40 stations in Gauteng, concerning serious crime reported.
This includes murder, sexual offences, attempted murder, common assault, common robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances.