SAPS Erasmia: Petition to SAPS

PETITION TO GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, SAPS PROVINCIAL COMMISSIONER AND NATIONAL MINISTRY

We the residents within the SAPS Erasmia precinct demand from the South African Police Services to improve the fight against crime in the rural areas due to the extensive criminal activity taking place in the following areas: namely Hennops River, Laezonia, Gerhardsville, Mnandi, Knoppieslaagte, Doornranje, Vlakplaats, and Schurveberge areas. We demand that the concerns listed below are adequately addressed:

1. Response times to crime to be improved
2. Adequate investigations and feedback be given on all cases registered at the above-mentioned Police stations
3. Adequate and efficient resource deployment and patrolling in the rural areas
4. Visible policing to be increased through daily patrols in the rural areas
5. Regular operations be done around illegal undocumented foreigners in informal settlements
6. The above-mentioned police stations are adequately resourced with personnel, facilities and vehicles

The total disregard for law and order has resulted in high crime rates and unresolved investigations in the rural areas of the SAPS Erasmia precinct.

We now require an urgent intervention at the most senior level to address the absence of any SAPS Patrol vehicles or the like at SAPS Erasmia. There is only one functioning vehicle which is shared amongst all SAPS officials, and which operates 24/7.

SAPS Erasmia services the following area:

• SAPS Erasmia precinct perimeter: 75.8 km

• SAPS Erasmia precinct area: 211 km²

According to previous CPF records, SAPS Erasmia is meant to be assigned a total of 32 vehicles, including patrol vehicles. There is only one operational vehicle. In 2019 Clr Kingsley Wakelin (now MEC Tshwane) and the Honourable Cilliers Brink presented a community petition to the then SAPS Erasmia station commander requesting the same intervention. No action was taken by SAPS and the situation has now deteriorated where the only resolution would be for residents to pay for the repairs of the SAPS Erasmia vehicles.

This situation is intolerable and notwithstanding the honest and determined efforts by the new Station Commander (w.e.f. March 2022) to secure these vehicles and resources (many of the historical vehicles are still sitting in SAPS repair shops for many years now) from SAPS, no such assistance has been forthcoming. In addition, SAPS Erasmia is still waiting for the much-promised new station facility (10 years or more by now), holding cells and GBV facilities and resources.

This lack of vehicles and other resources (sector policing phones, radios etc) is now a cause of significant concern to residents in Sector 2 and 3 of the precinct (being Laezonia AH, Rickaletta AH, Doornrandje AH, Gerhardsville, Hills and Dales AH, Hennopsrivier AH and Knoppieslaagte AH, Vlakplaats AH etc).

There is no Visible Policing, ability to attend crime scenes timeously or during emergencies, follow up investigations and the like. This represents a substantial risk to not only residents, but SAPS officers (there is no backup provided to them in emergencies), private security providers (who are able to detain suspects, many of whom are armed, but are unable to secure the assistance of SAPS or wait for hours to receive such assistance), residents (who wait hours for SAPS to arrive at crime scenes, if at all).

We have attached a link to crime statistics in this area (which border Olivenhoutbosch, Diepsloot, Mooiplaas and Spruit as well as Atteridgeville) demonstrating the locally reported crime and murders in this area.

Crime map of locally reported incidents: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1krB2ECIycICuwxdYsDcemIWqTyRUDlZN&usp=sharing

We now require an urgent intervention to resolve this and allow the Station Commander the resources to perform her duties.

We are all acutely aware of how quickly SAPS resources can be provided as was evident in events in Diepsloot recently with the sudden intervention of “our” Minister of Police and others: 16 police vehicles, 120 police officers, 25 home affairs immigration officials, and specialist investigation services.

SAPS Erasmia precinct residents.

Latest Signatures

89	Johann De Villiers	Jul 15, 2022
88	Rassie Erasmus	May 11, 2022
87	Mutshidza Rampfumedzi	May 11, 2022
86	Jacques Prinsloo	May 11, 2022
85	Helen Ferreira	May 11, 2022
84	Elaine Meyer	May 11, 2022
83	amali Raschke	May 11, 2022
82	Fanus Buckle	May 10, 2022
81	Sannah Ntombizodwa Mahlangu	May 09, 2022
80	Manti Maifadi	May 09, 2022
79	Zakiyya Arslan	May 08, 2022
78	Brigitte Hackl	May 08, 2022
77	Thabo Mahlangu	May 08, 2022
76	Letty Mahlangu	May 08, 2022
75	Portia Mahlangu	May 08, 2022
74	Queen Mahlangu	May 08, 2022
73	Sarah Matsho	May 08, 2022
72	Arthur Matsho	May 08, 2022
71	Caroline Mampuru	May 08, 2022
70	Millicent Mahlangu	May 08, 2022
69	Frances Van Melsen	May 08, 2022
68	Cibella Karusseit	May 07, 2022
67	Hildegard Setzkorn	May 07, 2022
66	Angelique Lotter	May 07, 2022
65	Maliga Ramadhin	May 07, 2022
64	Francois Marais	May 07, 2022
63	Victor Manangazira	May 07, 2022
62	Anelda Marais	May 07, 2022
61	Gabriella Noonan	May 07, 2022
60	Dorothy Henwood	May 07, 2022
59	Markus Pricken	May 07, 2022
58	Lindiwe Ngcobo	May 07, 2022
57	Joshua Ngoma	May 07, 2022
56	Ottoless Ngcobo	May 07, 2022
55	Monique Rose	May 07, 2022
54	Susana Burre	May 07, 2022
53	Nicholas Rose	May 07, 2022
52	Makobe Ntsoane	May 07, 2022
51	Jeanne Rose	May 07, 2022
50	Hylda Steenkamp	May 07, 2022
49	Ruby Chollai	May 07, 2022
48	Rosemary Rorke	May 07, 2022
47	Abraham Prollius	May 07, 2022
46	Ansuyah Squires	May 07, 2022
45	Antoinette Jeffery	May 07, 2022
44	Brett Milburn	May 07, 2022
43	Kim Jeffery	May 07, 2022
42	Hemantha Ranasinghe	May 07, 2022
41	Gillian Laing	May 07, 2022
40	Shane Rorke	May 07, 2022
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