The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chief Whip, Seiso Mohai, asserts that Parliament and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature must launch a scaled-up joint oversight campaign to bolster police efforts in the Ugu District to battle crime.
Thursday at the Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre in Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality, Mohai made the remark in response to concerns aired by community members during a public hearing on safety and security.
The hearings are part of the week-long Taking Parliament To The People (TPTTP) monitoring program presently happening in the district.
Mohai expressed alarm on the large number of police officials implicated in major criminal activity, such as murder and sabotage of police operations.
“We must be extremely deliberate in our monitoring and ensure that the Parliament, as the guardian of democracy, engages in very deliberate mobilization among communities. Mohai stated that members of the community are hesitant to confide in the police due to the fact that certain police officers collude with criminal organizations.
During the hearings, community residents vented their ire at the police, accusing them of indifference in the fight against crime in their neighborhood.
At addition, they complained about the lack of resources in the police stations, such as the absence of policing, criminality, and drug syndicates that collaborate with law enforcement agents to commit crimes.
In response to the community’s complaints, the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, confirmed that police are involved in illegal activities and pledged to visit police stations in the crime-ridden municipality to conduct immediate interventions.
The Chief Whip applauded the Minister’s immediate intervention, but pointed out that Parliament and the Provincial Assembly need to implement a systematic response to the terrifyingly high rate of crime among locals.
In addition, he directed councils, legislators, and members of parliament to foster a peaceful, economically prosperous atmosphere.