The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to do more to keep residents of Kathu safe from preventable crime and harm. This comes after yesterday’s horrific murder of a tuckshop owner in Sederlaan, allegedly by a known offender.
According to police reports, the 31-year-old victim was attacked during a daylight robbery, suffering fatal head and body injuries. Two suspects were apprehended the same day.
The DA applauds the quick response by a private security firm, the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and SAPS. The collaboration between these crime fighting entities, in spite of a shortage of resources and capacity, does not go unnoticed.
One of the suspects is a known repeat offender. There have been numerous complaints about him to SAPS and he was arrested by the CPF three times in the last month. If complaints against the alleged perpetrator had initially been treated more seriously, this tragic loss of life could have been prevented. The DA therefore encourages residents to open formal cases, no matter how small the crime may seem, to empower SAPS to act.
I visited the Kathu police station today and thanked the Station Commander, Captain Yvonne Pebe, and the arresting officer, for their efforts and dedication. I also appealed to Pebe to do more from her side, to ensure that SAPS acts against repeat offenders. I further addressed community members outside the Kathu Magistrates Court, sympathizing with their loss and calling for calm and cooperation with SAPS.
While crime in Kathu has, up until now, been of a less violent nature, there has been a noticeable uptick in house robberies. Petty crime, like theft of copper taps, as well as theft from motor vehicles, has also escalated. At a time when growing joblessness is fueling criminal activities and residents are fearful that the catastrophic levels of crime in Kuruman, situated only 50 kilometers away, may spill over into Kathu, urgent and decisive action is required by all stakeholders to keep Kathu safe.