By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on Tuesday, has acknowledged that while crime was not under control in the country, the media must allow police the space to work.
Mchunu along with other ANC NEC members were addressing the media on crime and gender-based violence (GBV), immigration and local government intervention and water issues on Tuesday.
The ANC is concluding its NEC Lekgotla which focused on pressing matters facing the country.
Mchunu urged the media to give the South African Police Service (Saps) space to investigate crimes and “do their work, without being victimised”.
He referred to a recent news report, in which he said the journalist used a phrase that victimised officers for defending themselves.
He was referring to an attempted cash-in-transit heist in Khayelitsha on Monday, where police, being part of a multidisciplinary team, intercepted a gang, before they were shot at. Police returned fire, resulting in the death of eight suspects and the arrest of five.
Mchunu stated that in a democratic country “different opinions are accepted”, however, he said the media “must give Saps space to work”.
“We cannot be complaining about everything; you complain about high rising levels of crimes, and we condemn police for not acting, and when they get prevented from acting via shootings at them, and when they protect themselves, defend themselves, and you all [media] are the ones that come forward immediately,” he said.
He said it was “unfair and wrong” that the police were victimised for protecting themselves against criminals, stressing the need for officers to defend themselves.
He said the Saps welcomed what the officers did in Khayelitsha.
“Police officers had to defend themselves by firing back, and in doing so this has left a number of people dead. It is important that I must mention that five AK47s were found there, this is a very high calibre weapon and is related to war. There was also an R4 [rifle] and other sorts of weapons,” he said.
He noted that the Saps was also “strongly worried” about the availability of various drugs in the country, noting that murder and drugs were priorities, while pointing out that kidnappings and extortions were also on the rise.
Mchunu also strongly condemned the incidents at Matsediso Primary School in Katlehong, where religious leader Paseka “Pastor Mboro” Motsoeneng was seen in a tense stand-off with a group of teachers, waving a machete and threatening staff.
Motsoeneng is said to have gone to the school demanding to fetch two children he did not have custody of.
“It’s something we condemn when a community leader or a citizen carries what appears to be firearms and a bush knife to an institution like education for whatever reasons and brandish such things like a panga and causes commotion because it causes anxiety among children,” said Mchunu.
He said four people related to the incident had been arrested so far, with Saps hoping for more arrests.
Home Affairs deputy minister and NEC member Njabulo Nzuza confirms investigations are under way into Miss SA contestant Chidimma Adetshina following an uproar that she was not a South African and could not participate in the competition.
Nzuza said they received a request to look into the matter and findings will be communicated.
This came after it was revealed that Adetshina’s father was ostensibly Nigerian while the 23-year-old’s mother was believed to be from Mozambique.
“The issue of Miss South Africa, the policy and I think over the past week set out that the policy and law is very clear.
“For a person to be South African you need to have been born out of South African parents or one of your parents must have been South African. The policy is very clear.
“What we don’t do, we don’t go around discussing people’s private information,” he said.
He said this would be a waste of resources to check if everyone walking in the streets was South African.
Meanwhile many issues have been raised over Rand Water’s five-week extensive maintenance programme, following which many residents across Gauteng were left without water for days and weeks. Some are still facing supply challenges.
Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo says the country won’t run out of water by 2030 as the department is undertaking initiatives to guarantee there are no supply issues. But he stated there are worrying signs as there’s a water deficit.