Today during a session of the North West Legislature, the FF Plus demanded that the circumstances surrounding five dangerous criminals' escape from police custody in Zeerust must urgently be investigated.
The five escapees all have prior convictions and were being detained on charges of murder, robbery and rape.
It is particularly alarming that the men escaped after farmers' organisations and community members repeatedly urged the police to put proper measures in place to prevent it.
It is a known fact that these individuals escaped from custody before.
It is important that the provincial government strongly condemns such incidents as well as the high incidence of violent crime in the North West.
Silence from government circles will merely reinforce the impression among members of the community that escapes are quietly condoned.
The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety, Ms Kim Medupi, assured the FF Plus that the incident will be investigated.
Ms Medupi also undertook to engage with the provincial police management.
She, furthermore, also undertook to make the meeting between the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and the police accessible to the public.
The people of the North West have been plagued by high levels of crime for a long time, and incidents like these further erode the community's faith in the authorities.
The FF Plus will closely monitor the investigation and apply pressure to ensure that the escaped criminals are apprehended, and that any possible irregularities relating to the escape are brought to light.
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