This statement follows an oversight inspection by the DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP, the DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Annette Steyn MP, the DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Police, Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, and DA Political Head for Waterberg South Constituency, Lindy Wilson MP, at the Tzaneen Police Station in Limpopo. Please find attached soundbites in Zulu and English by Mr Mbhele and an Afrikaans soundbite by Ms Steyn. Pictures can be found here, here, and here.
Today, the DA conducted an oversight inspection at the Tzaneen Police Station where the station commander highlighted significant challenges regarding personnel shortages, which reflects the chronic station-level under-staffing throughout the police service. The under-staffing has had a direct impact on what is meant to be the 24-hour satellite office in the area, as well as sector patrolling. Most of the time this office is not operational as it is closed when the skeleton staff of between one or two officers have to investigate complaints.
We were also told that the station has a shortage of at least 16 vehicles. The reason why communities such as Tzaneen have become besieged by crime and violence is due to their remote locations. A shortage in staff and vehicles mean that the police cannot adequately patrol the surrounding rural communities, nor can they timeously respond to call-outs.
Whilst at the station, the DA observed guns being transported from the police shooting range to the station in a shopping trolley. This signals a neglectful disregard for proper controls when securing police weapons which make the station susceptible to falling prey to criminals who want to get their hands on these weapons. In addition, procurement management is also seemingly in a shambles with the station experiencing shortages in consumables such as toilet paper for weeks at a time.
The state of policing in Tzaneen is ripe for criminal elements to take advantage. In the 2016/17 financial year, robbery and burglary at non-residential premises increased by 26.1% and 31.8%, respectively.
Tzaneen has been identified as one of the 40 priority clusters where the Rural Safety Strategy has to be implemented and be fast-tracked. However, the challenges at the Tzaneen Police Station highlight that the effective implementation of the strategy is a long way off.
The DA has always held the view that the only way rural communities can be safe is if specialised rural safety units are reintroduced. The ANC government has long forgotten the plight of rural communities across the country, and the DA is the only party that can bring change and make rural communities safer.