The DA strongly condemns the heinous attack on Engcobo police station in the Eastern Cape which resulted in the tragic loss of six lives, including five South African Police Service (SAPS) members and an off-duty SANDF member.
The DA is saddened by this act of senseless violence, and wishes to convey our deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
This tragedy speaks directly to the chronic lack of much-needed resources at our police stations which leads to a complete inability to fight the unacceptably high levels of crime.
This speaks to the need to ensure the full capacitation and professionalisation of the police service in our crime-ridden communities.
If the police themselves are no longer safe, who must South Africans turn to for protection?
The DA cannot sit by idly and watch on while our communities live under siege due to the government’s lack of political will to combat the scourge of crime.
Tomorrow, the Leader of the DA in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, Bobby Stevenson MPL and I, will visit the Engcobo police station in a bid to find solutions to the challenges faced by this station which is an essential component to fighting crime.
It is important that Minister Mbalula gets to the bottom of this incident and reports back to South Africa on what the investigation and what steps are being taken to keep the police and our communities safe.