Africa-Press – South-Africa. There was outrage among residents of Orlando, Soweto, on Tuesday as they protested at the local police station to voice concerns over police visibility and service delivery in the area.
The crowd demanded that the commander of the Orlando police station personally receive their memorandum listing concerns about what they termed poor service delivery from the police.
Jasdemona Mboweni, 43, a member of a community safety group, read out the memorandum, which called on the station commander of the Orlando police to step down.
Residents said they were tired of police officers not doing their jobs and further claimed that some officers accepted bribes.
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“In recent times, Orlando police officials have been considered non-existent, lacking in service and inadequate resources,” said Mboweni.
“This issue has been going on in Orlando East, Noordgesig, Noordgesig Extension, Pennyville and Omoville for far too long, and it’s high time our demands are met.”
The memorandum read out by Mboweni stated that the community was in need of a fully equipped police station, a customer-friendly help desk, a charge office, and more officers. It also stated that first priority should be given to those residing in and around Orlando East.
Mboweni said residents also demanded that more investigating officers be deployed to the police station because those currently working there were overwhelmed by the heavy workload.
“Police officers, they must be resourced with mobility so they can function well at their work,” said Mboweni.
Mboweni also highlighted the need for swift responses to incidents of crime in the area.
“Sometimes, community members are expected to take matters into their own hands and to do police work.
“We found ourselves being investigating officers, working on a missing person’s case. The ordinary member of the community can be found helping the police but not doing most of the work that is to be done by the police,” said Mboweni.
As the crowd chanted, a resident who wished to remain anonymous told News24 that she had personally been affected by bad service from the police.
“My 14-year-old daughter was raped in Noordgesig, and it just so happened that she opened a case in Orlando.
“After the case was opened, I was approached by several people who claimed to have known the men who raped my child.”When I reported it to the police, they shut me down and told me they do not deal with hearsay. Mind you, my child was underage, and she was scared to expose these people who raped her because they are drug dealers.”This is still a pain she lives with till today,” said the resident.Her presence at the protest was meant to remind the police of the urgency of the situation, she said.She added: I want the police station to open this case again so that my daughter and I can find closure. Residents also demanded that all sexual abuse and gender-based violence cases be handled by officials who had been trained to do so and who had a passion to serve the community.Another resident, Fikile Tshabalala, said officers at the Orlando police station had failed to solve cases which the community had brought to them.”We have created Orlando Concerned groups on WhatsApp because of the increased incidents of house robberies, murders, and those who rob school learners right after they leave school (sic).”Yesterday, two girls were robbed as they returned home from school.”Cable theft has increased in the area. Not long ago, cables were stolen in this area and new ones were installed on Thursday but stolen again on Friday.ALSO READ | Seven of Gauteng’s municipalities are on the brink of dysfunction – Lebogang Maile”Suspects guilty of such crimes are arrested but released the next day,” she said. According to Tshabalala, this was not the first time that a memorandum had been handed to the station commander. “We have even gone to the extent of signing petitions but nothing has been done.”Police instead arrest community patrollers, who are merely protecting our community,” said Tshabalala.Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) member and patient representative Teboho Tenyane gave the station commander three days to respond to the community’s demands. Tenyane said if this was not done, another massive protest would be held outside the police station on Friday.Orlando police spokesperson Captain Nomvula Mbense said they would attend urgently to the matters raised by residents and uphold the deadline given by community leaders and residents.Never miss a story. Choose from our range of newsletters to get the news you want delivered straight to your inbox.
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