Police Minister Bheki Cele says turning away abused women at police stations is the “number one crime” committed by cops.
Cele made the statement on Tuesday while addressing hundreds of officers, neighbourhood watch and community members at the launch of the SAPS Festive Season Safety Plan at the Philippi Police Academy, where 407 police officials also received their promotions.
At the same event, 96 family members of slain cops in the Western Cape received food parcels from the Gift of the Givers organisation, and four wheelchairs were handed over to officers who have been left disabled in the line of duty.
Cele also formally opened the new police station in Samora Machel.
At the training college, Cele warned cops to toe the line or face joining the numbers gangs in jail.
“Never ever turn an abused woman away from the police station. Your job is to arrest the perpetrator,” he said.
“I love the blue uniform, don’t exchange it for orange (prison overalls).
“If you do the things that make you exchange your uniform for orange, we will make sure that you get out of this organisation (SAPS) and join the 28 and 27s, 26, 34, and whatever other 20s.”
Top cop Brigadier Novela Potelwa said this year they have the Anti-Gang Unit to assist.
“We are guided by crime patterns and what is different for this year’s festive season’s plan is that we have the Anti-Gang Unit, we will be having more police on the ground,” Potelwa says.
Food parcels were handed over to the families of slain cops, including that of Constable Ncedo Katoyi, 39, who was shot and killed in Site C, Khayelitsha, in April while responding to a complaint.
Cele and Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, the founder of Gift of the Givers, handed over a parcel to the cop’s 16-year-old daughter, Buhle Katoyi, who was overcome with tears.
Cele then went to the newly-erected police station in Samora Machel which is staffed by about 100 cops, 54 vehicles and a charge office.
The station is expected to alleviate the demand for police in the greater Nyanga community and will service 40 000 residents.
“Women have been complaining for some time that they didn’t have a police station and would have to go to Nyanga,” said Cele.
“Nyanga station had always been overloaded, we believe this will ease the load.”
Resident Angeline Mtalana, 63, says: “It will make life easier for us because usually when we go to Nyanga Police Station, there is never a van.”