Komphela cleans police stations

Heads are set to roll at the Thaba Nchu police station. This stern warning was issued by the MEC for Police, Roads, and Transport, Butana Komphela, while addressing a community report-back meeting in Gladstone Trust outside the town yesterday. The meeting follows the widely reported march late in February by the community of Dipudungwaneng decrying police incompetence, complicity in stock theft, and political meddling at the police station. The march was led by the public participation officer in the Office of the Premier, Reverend Sello Dire. He delivered a memorandum to Komphela on behalf of the aggrieved community. Komphela said he was acting on his earlier promise to respond to the memorandum within two weeks.

Accompanied by the provincial police top brass, Komphela commended the community for the way in which they conducted themselves during and after the February march to the Thaba Nchu Magistrate’s Court. “Today’s marches are different. We see people burning shops and clinics. Criminals are using these marches to pursue their nefarious acts. We told the police never to allow this anarchy. We told police this should stop. However, I am happy with the way the community of Gladstone conducted itself during your march. You truly served as role models for others to follow in the province.” Komphela added that the purpose of the gathering was to brief the community on the progress made on the issues they raised in their memorandum.

On the alleged political meddling of three police officers at the Thaba Nchu police station, he said the mandate of the police is to serve and protect the community “If you are a police and involved in politics, you are at the wrong place. I want to assure you that the three police officers alleged to be involved in politics at the police station will go. Rest assured that when I come back again I am going to give you the outcome. It is not going to be smiles,” the MEC announced to wild cheers from the community. The staff members at the station have allegedly been taking political sides when doing their official duty. This has angered the small rural community.

According to resident Pule Mahasa, the three identified police officers have been colluding with criminals to fleece them of their livestock for some time now. He said instead of the police coming to residents’ rescue, residents were being victimised with uncalled-for arrests. The Weekly reported in January that a suspected stock-thief was assaulted and necklaced in the same area. According to residents, he was murdered after being repeatedly warned to refrain from stealing. He allegedly continued and even boasted that “the police at Thaba Nchu station are my friends. There is nothing you can do to me”.

One of the demands of the residents was that those arrested be released on bail. Responding to the demand, Komphela said although the issue of bail was the province of magistrate courts, he has issued an instruction to his top brass that the arrested men be brought before court as soon as possible for their bail application. Komphela added that he also told the police to be quick when responding to the concerns of the communities before the latter takes the law into their own hands.

He announced that he was going to donate a mobile satellite police station to the area until a proper police station is built since the community has banned the police from the area because of lack of trust. The MEC added that the provincial commissioner has promised to strengthen the capacity of the stock theft unit in the area. Komphela related the laxity and negative attitude he said he had previously experienced at the police station.

“It appears as if police officers at this station are still on Christmas. Let them be seriously warned: If they continue to give us problems, we’re definitely going to take them somewhere. We are not going to allow a few rotten apples in our midst to dent the image of the police.” Komphela said should the problem persist, people should phone him directly. He provided them with his telephone number. A resident of the Trust, Mohai Masaka, praised Komphela, “We have leaders who truly care about our plight. I am impressed. It shows they are committed to the cause, especially for people like us in the rural areas.”