The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety conducted one of its routine oversight visits to the Temba Police Stations in Hammanskraal as part of its programme of visiting the top 40 priority Police stations in Gauteng.

The 40 priority police stations have been identified as police stations located in communities where the levels of crime are extremely high as compared to other areas in the province.

During its oversight visit yesterday, the Committee was briefed by Senior Police Officials at the Temba Police Station on the progress made on the murder of Lethabo Nkoana which happened during a political gathering which took place at the Temba Stadium in Hammanskraal during the past weekend.

Nkoana was allegedly shot dead during a scuffle which erupted during a political gathering on Saturday.

Police briefed the Committee that they have made significant progress and are at an advance stage of making an arrest.  Officials further briefed the Committee that an incident of this nature might have been avoided if proper arrangements were made to provide safety and security by Law Enforcement. Officials as members of the SAPS in Temba were not informed of such a gathering.

The Committee applauds the MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko and  the Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela for the dedication and commitment they have displayed in dealing with this case by appointing Senior Provincial police detectives  who are both highly skilled and qualified to deal with such cases.  The Committee urges SAPS in Gauteng to deal with cases of this nature with the seriousness they deserve and the judiciary to give perpetrators harsher sentences for violent crimes to ensure that no life is lost without extreme consequences.

The Committee welcomed the progress made by Police and described the incident as unfortunate and complete unnecessary in a Constitutional Democracy.

The Committee is of the view that political violence has no place in the mainstream political discourse of South African’s young democracy and that concerns and grievances amongst citizens can be solved through peaceful means.  There is no justification for enforcing violence when citizens have differences as this can only reverse the gains that the country has made in building a nation characterised by peace, tolerance and harmony.

The Committee will continue to monitor the progress of the Police in relation to this case to ensure that a speedy arrest is made and a successful prosecution is carried out in order to give the Nkoana family the necessary closure they deserve.

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ISSUED BY GPL’S MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY, HONOURABLE MAPITI MATSENA

For interview requests with the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee please contact: Mr Thebe Khumalo on

011 498 5948 / 072 266 1021 email: TKhumalo@gpl.gov.za

GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE

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