Durban — Leaders of a Community Policing Forum (CPF), serving the people of uMlazi and a portion of Isipingo, have threatened to down tools, citing the provincial government’s lack of support.
With uMlazi known as one of the country’s murder hotspots, the concerned community members teamed up in a bid to curb the rising crime in the southern Durban township.
However, one of the leaders, Thabiso Ngema, said the government had failed to keep its promise to provide them with tools such as torches and two-way radios.
“Some of us don’t have reflector jackets. We need torches and walkie-talkies. You must understand that we do this without any remuneration. The only thing we want is support,” he said.
Instead, Ngema said, the provincial government had decided to prioritise a newly formed CPF and snubbed them.
“We have been doing this for many years but the government has blatantly decided to ignore us and prioritise new forums. These new forums have been given reflector jackets, torches and two-way radios,” said Ngema.
Themba Khumalo, another forum member, accused the provincial government of failing to honour its promise.
“All we want is for the government to treat all of us fairly. We’re all doing the same kind of job. It baffles us why we are sidelined when others are given tools that will better their operations,” said Khumalo.
Khumalo said the government was pitting crime-fighting forums against each other by prioritising some forums and side-lining others.
Their forum was formed in 2015. The lack of support would likely place their crime-fighting operations in a bind, which would expose hundreds of residents to petty criminals who terrorise the community at gun- and knife-point.
Forum members accompany residents to bus stops in the early hours of the morning. They do the same when the residents return.
The leader of another forum, Themba Mshazi, praised the government.
“The provincial government has been very supportive to us. They have given us reflector jackets, torches and other tools we need,” said Mshazi.
He was aware of some community forums that were blaming the government for its lack of support, but would not be drawn into commenting on their concerns.
During an imbizo hosted by Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube last week, she reflected on the government’s achievements in tackling crime.
Among them, she said, was the provision of reflector jackets, torches and cars to community forums.
She warned that the infighting between some forums would derail their efforts to fight crime, which was ravaging the township and neighbouring Isipingo.
“Now we have people who are questioning us as to why we’re helping other forums and not them. We can’t allow this to happen,” said Dube-Ncube.
“Some of our brothers and sisters have been guarding communities for free for many years. As the government we have also given them two-way radios and cars.”
She added: “We have been working with these people for many years. We did not start yesterday or last week.”
Dube-Ncube said people should not join community policing forums in the hope that this would pave the way for them to join the South African Police Service (SAPS).
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