The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga will write to the new MEC of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Jackie Macie, asking him and the Provincial Government to consider building a second police station in Pienaar Township to fight the recent wave of criminal activities which have led to the brutal murder of a number of people in the last few weeks.
In the last four weeks alone, four bodies, including a 37-year-old woman and three children between the ages of 3 and 16, where found burnt or either buried in shallow graves around the crime-infested Pienaar Township. At least four suspects have since been arrested for these murders of which one died in hospital recently after he was assaulted by community members.
According to the City of Mbombela’s Final Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Report for 2017 to 22, crime has reached an unacceptable high level in the municipality, with Pienaar area being the highest crime spot in the Ehlanzeni region. The report states that this is attributed to the lack of adequate police stations and lack of capacity within the existing police force and inadequate access roads within the Pienaar area. The Mbombela IDP report mentions that an average of 41 021 people are served by only one police station in Pienaar and other areas in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality; this is an average of one police official serving 1 000 people.
Taking into consideration the figures above, it means that the Pienaar Township needs and extra two police stations with the current official population of 129 152, as recently reported to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) by Bheki Cele, the former Minister of Police. But the DA is calling for the provincial government to build at least another one police station in Pienaar.
According to a 2022 report by Statistics South Africa, the current national police-to-population ratio in the country is one officer for every 424 residents. This is still higher compared to the United Nations (UN) recommendation of one police officer for every 220 people.
If one considers the current 129 152 population figure of Pienaar, with their average of one police official serving 1 000 people – versus the UN recommendation of one police officer for every 220 people; it becomes clear that Pienaar is in critical shortage of policing, especially that their only Police Station ranked in the top 30 stations in the country for various criminal activities, and the situation is just getting worse.
It is therefore critical that a second police station in the Pienaar area be built as a matter of urgency. A second police station and the recently disbanded Serious and Violent Crime Investigating Unit will add much needed resources to this community.
The DA also calls on the MEC and his department to encourage and enhance cooperation between the South African Police Services (SAPS), community members, private security business and companies, including the local neighbourhood watches and police forums. This collaborative effort must aim to tackle the crime wave not just in Pienaar alone, but in the rest of the Mpumalanga Province.
Many criminals get away with their crimes because our people fear that if they report the criminal activities they see, their lives or the lives of their families will be at risk. To avoid this, MEC Macie and his department must consider establishing a victims and citizens safety protection program that will ensure that those who report crimes are always protected.