The community of Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, has lambasted Police Minister Bheki Cele for failing to fulfil promises he made during a community iMbizo last month.
At the iMbizo, Cele promised among others that five police vehicles would be delivered to Orange Farm, however, residents say none of the minister’s promises materialised.
Residents are complaining that there are still no vehicles at their local police station. They are also concerned that the area has some of the highest incidents of murder and rape in the province.
In October last year, Orange Farm community marched against gender-based violence:
Community leader Linda Ndebele says there has not been any change in their area, since the iMbizo.
Ndebele says, “Bheki Cele was here and made those empty promises. There’s no change. There is nothing happening around here. There are no five vans that he said he was going to leave that day. I went there and checked there were no five vans. After a week or so because the 7 days were already gone there are no vans.”
Ndebele says residents are running out of patience and will take action if their grievances are not addressed.
“The way forward from the community is to say, Bheki Cele if you don’t meet your promises they will go and shut down that police station. Then will see to it what we do. Will do the mob justice. Whoever does anything to our kids will take the law into our own hands,” added Ndebele.
Women in Motion Director, Sophie Semo, has appealed to the Police Minister to fulfil his promises as the community is suffering.
She says her neighbour had a fight with her husband and they called the police only to be told that there are no vehicles at the police station and the complaint was not attended to.
Semo says, “He promised five cars first then in 7 days another five but still today we are still waiting for those cars. The only thing he did right after he visited Orange Farm is to insult the people of Orange Farm. He made a point that Orange Farm has more than 300 shebeens and 11 bottle stores. I want to ask him one on one why he made that statement. What we want, he must bring cars and enough police.”
The minister’s spokesperson referred the SABC to the Gauteng Police Department. However, the provincial spokesperson has not responded to messages and calls from the SABC.
In September last year, Orange Farm residents threatened to shut down the local police station:
