Parliament, Wednesday, 23 October 2019 – The Select Committee on Security and Justice visited the Thohoyandou Police Station in Limpopo yesterday as part of its oversight week. The purpose of the visit was to interact with provincial and station managers on crime statistics and challenges faced by the station.
The visit revealed that the station serves a population of about three hundred thousand people in a vast area with 391 police officers. The committee has noted that another police station is required in Thohoyandou also to enhance visible policing especially in rural areas.
The committee told the managers that the station must devise a clear succession plan to replace the significant number of police officers that are about to retire. Service terminations, which amount to 32 police officers since January 2018, have also placed severe strain on the police service that is also facing critical budget constraints.
The committee raised its concern on the increase in gender-based violence as the station’s statistics revealed an increase of 19 percent to cases related to sexual offences for the 2018/19 financial year, an increase of 12 percent to rape cases and an increase of 43.8 percent to cases related to sexual assault.
The committee commended the station on its victim empowerment programme, but heard from the Community Policing Forum (CPF) that more can be done to improve the conditions of the victim-friendly room.
Thohoyandou was third out of ten worst communities in the country with respect to sexual offences reported, where 297 cases were reported in 2018/19 financial year only.
The committee raised a concern with the 992 sexually related cases currently dealt with by the police station, given the fact that the station has a limited capacity in respect of detective services.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Shahidabibi Shaikh said: “Crime is a societal issue, the criminal justice system needs to be resourced and capacitated in order to respond efficiently to the challenge of gender-based violence and sexually related crimes”. While the station makes a concerted effort to address gender-based violence and sexually related cases, Ms Shaikh reiterated that the station needs to increase its human resource capacity, invest more in victim support through psychological assistance (such as counselling services) and needs to improve on forensic services.
Ms Shaikh said, the committee is pleased to note that the station has sufficient rape kits within the cluster and has a good working relationship with the Thuthuzela Care Centre (Rape centre).
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE SECURITY AND JUSTICE, MS SHAHIDABIBI SHAIKH.
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