During its recent oversight visit to Tshwane’s Rietgat Police Station, the Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety called for a “shift in control measures, and a more innovative approach for proactive crime prevention”.
The visit followed numerous complaints to the Committee from the Jukulyn community lamenting the high crime levels in the area, which have resulted in perpetual incidents of rape, robbery, and assaults. These have left residents fearing for their lives given the weaknesses in police to ensure their safety.
In response to the public outcry, the Committee yesterday (27 July 2022) visited the Rietgat Police Station and Jukulyn Section to get a sense of the situation and assess current policing measures. The Committee made recommendations for stricter policing to improve resident safety.
The Committee received reports on recurrent crimes including murders, car hijacking, business robberies, common assault and gender based violence – with some parts of Jukulyn Section declared ‘no go areas’ for residents and police.
To restore law and order in the area, the Committee recommended the following:
- The deployment of SAPS’s Tactical Response Team
- Law Enforcement Agencies to conduct ‘Operation: Okae Molao’ weekly
- Strict enforcement of by-laws on spaza shops and liquor outlets
- Community involvement and restoration of confidence in Police in the area
- The immediate arrest of known suspects
- Increased police visibility and ‘stop & search’ operations, particularly on weekends and at night
- Cooperation with informers and community intelligence
The above recommendations will be formalized with the Office of the Provincial Police Commissioner with the Committee closely monitoring implementation on a quarterly basis. Furthermore, the Committee will conduct random unannounced oversight visits to the area.
Meanwhile, the Committee will hold a joint public meeting with law enforcement agencies to afford residents a platform to voice concerns regarding rampant crime in Jukulyn.
