05 Aug 2015

Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration says even though the crime rate is high in Mahalapye, it has been declining between 2010 and 2014.

Answering a question on behalf of the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele said 5 676 cases were recorded in 2010, 5 480 in 2011, 4 798 in 2012, 4 837 in 2013 and 4 168 in 2014.

He said efforts were being made to reduce crime levels in Mahalapye and that the police, in partnership with the community, had initiated strategies such as public education, stop, question and search, targeted patrols and operations and the creation of response teams.

“It is my hope that with the cooperation of the community of Mahalapye the crime level will continue to go down,” he said.

Mr Makgalemele said the established policy was that cluster members, including in Mahalapye, should always be accompanied by regular police officers. 

He, however, said this does not always happen due to exigencies of police work and manpower shortage.

He said there were no plans to set up police posts at Xhosa and Madiba wards due to resources limitations. As for Tewane ward, he said there were four special constables and eight volunteers operating from the kgotla, and that plans were ongoing to establish Tewane as a police post in future.

Mahalapye West MP, Mr Joseph Molefe had asked the minister if he was aware that the crime rate was too high in Mahalapye, and what policing strategy was being planned to contain and reduce crime rate in Mahalapye.Ends