ACCESS TO A RESPONSIVE POLICE SERVICE IS NOT A PRIVILEGE BUT A RIGHT: POLICE MINISTER
The leadership of the police have descended to Mpumalanga Province to officially opened Daggakraal Police Station. The Police Minister, General Bheki Cele, the MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Safety and Liaison, MEC Vusi Shongwe, the National Commissioner, General Kehla Sitole as well as the Deputy National Commissioner: Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Ntshinga also formed part of the dignitaries at the event.
The event was hosted by the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela and amongst the leaders in the Province, was the provincial traditional leader, Inkhosi Ngomane and The Mayor of Gert Sibande District Municipality, Councillor Chirwa as well as the Representative of the Mayor of Pixley-ka-Seme Local Municipality, Councillor Simelane and the Provincial Board Chairperson, Mr Pillay.
“The South African Police Service must continue to fast track the accessibility to a police officer or police services for all South Africans and those who live within our borders,” said Police Minister, General Bheki Cele
This as the Police Minister and the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service together with the Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety Security and Liaison, Vusi Shongwe, on Monday 18 October 2021, opened a state of the art police station in Daggakraal in Mpumalanga.
The rural community of Daggakraal is grappling with high incidents of stock theft, housebreaking and various cases of assault and sexual violence. Residents of this area had been reliant on a satellite station to access police services.
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As part of efforts by the South African Police Service to bring services and resources closer to the people, the newly unveiled police station boasts amongst other things, a community service centre, holding cells and victim-friendly rooms (VFR) to accommodate victims and survivors of Gender-Based Violence. 51 operational and non-operational officers will report to work at this station to better serve the 35 thousand strong Daggakraal community.
The occasion of the official opening of the Daggakraal police station also saw the Police Ministry and the SAPS top management conduct a community engagement session, to better understand and respond to the needs of people living in and around the area.
“SAPS is continuing its service delivery programme that’s informed by population growth and spatial development.” Minister Cele told the residents gathered in response to some concerns raised that included the concerns about long distances residents have to travel to report a crime as well as the slow response time of law enforcement.
“The access to a responsive police service should not be a privilege but a right that we as government are working each day to achieve, the strategic deployment of resources must mean that residents of any community don’t have to walk kilometres on end or rely on an expensive taxi or bus ride to access policing services. People should not have to choose between putting food on the table and going to report a crime.” – Cele concluded.
The Daggakraal police station joins the list of 1 159 police stations that are servicing communities across the country.
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