Deputy Police Minister admits Peddie collapse of policing

Lack of policing in a village outside Peddie where a 95-year-old woman was raped is causing alarm there.

The elderly woman was alone in her home in Qeto village when the rapist broke in and attacked her. The incident occurred on March 21.

A 25-year-old man, apparently known to the woman, was arrested three days later.

Deputy Police Minister Maggie Sotyu yesterday confirmed for the first time claims by community members that policing by South African Police Service members in the area had collapsed.

Sotyu was speaking at an imbizo in the area yesterday attended by more than 2700 residents.

The lack of crime detecting and investigations was further highlighted when it emerged that Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete was the one who orchestrated the decision by police management to visit the area and host the imbizo yesterday.

Tshwete was in Peddie in January on a site visit when she noticed the lack of policing.

It was not immediately stated why police had not dealt with complaints about a lack of police and police stations in Ngqushwa Municipality.

“Peddie Police Station is in need of an additional 10 police officers and a roving mobile police station because it is policing a vast area. We will go back and come up with a solution,” Sotyu said.

She said the construction of a new police station as a solution was not immediately on the cards as such a project would take 10 to 20 years to complete due to red tape.

Victoria Nzima, a 69-year-old resident in Cross Roads, said she hoped the imbizo would bring much-needed change.

“We live under harsh conditions. Our children are abusing drugs, they rape and then murder,” Nzima said.

Meanwhile, Ngqushwa mayor Solomzi Ndwayana used the platform to campaign for the ANC, warning residents that should they vote for another party, they would “go back to oppression days”.

“This is the government of the people, it listens to the people, let us not be forget,” he said.