Top award for Nongoma police station
MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu commends Nongoma safety structures.
KWAZULU-NATAL MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, has heaped praise on the eMatheni safety structures, especially its Traditional Council leader Thabisile Patience Zulu.
Zulu became the first person to be recognised as the ‘Most Exemplary Community Leader in Peace Keeping’ during the MEC’s Police and Community Service Excellence Awards ceremony.
Abantwana Basendlunkulu received an award for ‘Most Outstanding Community Structure in Peacekeeping’, while the late Jospeh Ntshaba from the Nongoma Community Crime Prevention Association was recognised for ‘Voluntary Selfless Dedication’ in the fight against crime.
The Nongoma Police Station received a special award for being the ‘Most Collaborative Police Station in Community Safety, Crime Prevention and Crime Combatting’.
The area of eMatheni has a long history of conflict between two families which claimed more than 20 lives over the past few years, but has now ended thanks to the collective efforts of government, police and safety structures.
Some of the suspects have been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, while many illegal firearms have been recovered. Other suspects are awaiting trial.
Mchunu recalled that Zulu and the late Ntshaba were instrumental in the mobilisation of communities against crime and forming safety structures.
Mchunu commended Zulu, the Peace Committee, eMatheni leadership and Nongoma SAPS for their role in peace attainment, saying their hard work had paid off because peace had been sustained and crime prevention efforts were ongoing.
‘The story of eMatheni serves as a good example of community leaders, safety structures, government and police working together to effectively combat crime.
‘It started with bloodshed. But we initiated peace talks, formed peace committees and safety structures. Today some of the suspects have been arrested and convicted. The community is living in peace because the working relationship between the key stakeholders continues,’ Mchunu said.
‘We would like to encourage the rest of the communities across the province to continue working closely with the police and government to isolate and flush out criminals.’
