High crime rate in Thohoyandou area a worrying factor for police

By Silas Nduvheni

With the release of the provincial crime statistics for the third quarter of 2022, Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe remarked that although the picture did not look good in terms of numbers, the national crime stats showed that Limpopo was the only province deemed to be safe in terms of murder.

Hadebe was joined by the MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Florence Radzilani, in her boardroom in Polokwane on Friday, 24 February.

“We owe it to the people of this province to create a safe and secure environment in which all citizens live in peace and harmony, without any fear of crime. This is an obligation bestowed by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. We have to do this by any legal means possible, even if it means we have to sleep on the streets.”

Hadebe said that Limpopo Province still experienced incidents related to vigilantism in which people took the law into their own hands. This, she said, often led to the destruction of property and, in some instances, people’s getting killed or injured.

Out of the 263 murders recorded in the third quarter, 48 were the result of mob justice. “There was a recent incident where the communities of Ha-Gumbu village in the Masisi area torched police vehicles and set 15 houses on fire after the traditional leader of the village was gunned down in front of his house on 12 February. We highly condemn mob justice of any kind and urge communities to allow the police to do their jobs without interference.”

Hadebe said that the high crime rate in the Thohoyandou policing area especially was becoming a serious concern. “We need to adapt to the activities of the day and keep up with the new technology and the needs of the rapidly growing community and businesses, creating a watertight environment that would not allow gaps and divisions between the police and community, because such gaps may allow criminals to take advantage of the broader community and victimise them,” she said. She said that the “foot soldiers” on the ground needed to display the character of true servants, having the interests of the community at heart and desisting from any corrupt activities. “I’m calling on the men and women in blue of this province to prioritise the community’s interest above their own,” she said.

Meanwhile, Thohoyandou SAPS’s newly appointed station commander, Brigadier Mmboneni Mukwevho, said that they had joined hands with Business Against Crime and also met with traditional leaders and communities to discuss ways of reducing the high crime rate in the area.

Storm leaves a trail of destruction

By Kaizer Nengovhela

More than 100 families from N’waxinyamani, Chavane, Mashamba, Bokisi, Mbokota and the surrounding villages were left roofless, following a fierce storm that swept over the area on Tuesday, 21 February.

The storm left a trail of destruction, with roads flooded, electricity poles knocked down and trees uprooted. One person from N’waxinyamani was reportedly injured and treated at the Bungeni Health Centre.

Ms Onica Mahlaule of Ha-Mashamba lost her threeroom house and everything inside was damaged. “When the storm started, I was inside the house. I had just arrived home when the walls started cracking. People started fleeing as their houses collapsed. I thought of hiding inside the wardrobe, but I became very afraid. The wind blew the roof off, and I was left inside the roofless ruin.” Fortunately, she did not sustain any major injuries.

According to Mr Vincent Mthombeni of N’waxinyamani, a fierce wind swept across the village, leaving everyone running for cover. Moments later, big raindrops started pelting down, followed by loud cracks of thunder and streaks of lightning that lit up the entire neighbourhood. He said the situation took a turn for the worse when he heard the sheets of his roof being blown off one by one. “I thought a tornado had touched down, or that lightning had struck my house. I could not see properly as it was rain- ing heavily, and hailstones were pelting down. All my furniture and other equipment were damaged,” he said.

The spokesperson for the Vhembe District Municipality, Mr Matodzi Ralushai, expressed his shock and concern over the devastation. “People have nothing, absolutely nothing left,” he said. He appealed to those whose houses were damaged by the storm to contact their headmen or ward councillors to register their damage and urged community members to help one another.

“Our condolences and sympathy go out to all the affected families. We heard about the incident and immediately dispatched our disaster teams to assess the damage. We are making the necessary interventions,” he said.