The FF Plus welcomes the appointment of Lt.-Gen. Semakaleng Manamela as the new Police Commissioner for Mpumalanga, particularly because it appears that she has an untainted reputation as a hard-working police officer.
Lt.-Gen. Manamela, however, has a long and difficult road ahead as she is tasked with turning the failing police service in the province around.
The lack of police officers, vehicles and other resources must be urgently addressed to ensure that the force can effectively perform its duties.
It is unacceptable that units such as those for domestic violence, child protection and sexual offences have only three vehicles at their disposal to investigate all those types of crimes in the entire province.
And then police vehicles are used to transport offenders awaiting trial to and from court.
In the FF Plus's view, rural safety in Mpumalanga is paramount and the safety of farmers and rural communities in general must be a priority.
Thus, the party asked the MEC for Community Safety, Vusi Shongwe, to indicate if his Department has conducted proper surveys to determine whether there exists any lack of vehicles, weapons, uniforms and other logistical aids at police stations across Mpumalanga and if so, what is the timeframe for addressing these issues.
The FF Plus is, furthermore, calling on the new Police Commissioner to restore the police's integrity and functionality in Mpumalanga by getting rid of corrupt officers. Appointments and promotions must be made based on expertise and experience.
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