An angry deputy police minister lashed out at Wild Coast anti-mining activists yesterday for saying police were biased in favour of a violent pro- mining faction.
Deputy Minister Maggie Sotyu told the Daily Dispatch the Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC)’s claims, and its handling of Tuesday’s rowdy government outreach imbizo in Xolobeni, was “dishonest, destructive and downright disingenuous”.
After the imbizo, ACC secretary Nonhle Mbuthuma told journalists: “The Deputy Minister of Police did not speak to the purpose of the imbizo.
“She repeated that the government had full confidence in the police six times. The issue before her was that the community had lost confidence in local SAPS.”
Mbuthuma queried the progress of a police investigation into an attack on two journalists and locals on April 2, the day of murdered ACC leader Bazooka Radebe’s funeral.
She said the medical reports (J88 forms) from the attack were still at the Margate Netcare Hospital.
“The local police have been accused by the ACC leaders in letters to SAPS and the SA Human Rights Commission of supporting the violence of the mining lobby and for harassing the community with raids at night in civilian clothes.”
Sotyu responded by saying that the imbizo had been dedicated to “providing a platform for the Amadiba Crisis Committee and all concerned members of the community to engage with the government on issues raised in their letter of complaint to the Deputy Minister.”
Sotyu said she had envisioned the imbizo as a way of “strengthening” the bonds between the two opposing groups but that a commotion broke out at the meeting.
This was caused by the ACC, who “instead of prioritising listening and dialogue, disrupted a member of the community whilst raising a point.
“The ACC’s disruptive actions were a clear indication that their viewpoints should be the only ‘winning and right’ ones.” There could be no resolution of conflict in Xolobeni if “one is unwilling to listen to a different/contrary view”.
However, the deputy minister said she was concerned about reports of police abusing their powers.
“We are equally concerned when we hear about police officers who are killed while responding to crime callouts,” she said, without clarifying further.
Sotyu denied the existence of a “prevalent culture of impunity within the police service”.
She repeated the imbizo’s recommendations which were:
lAn inter-ministerial task team led by Mineral Resources would be set up by August 31 to address the Xolobeni mining issue: “No mining will take place without the consent of the Xolobeni community members and no one will be removed from his or her land”;
lAt least two mobile police stations would be set up in the area to bolster police visibility and community safety;
lThe “delayed” J88 injury reports had been resolved with the two journalists, Simnikiwe Hlatshaneni and Moses Mbutyuna, who were also satisfied with case progress made by a Brigadier McLaren;
lThe Human Rights Commission had yet to confirm allegations that the SAPS in the area was biased towards “another group” ”; and
- The Hawks are still investigating the murder of Sikhosiphe “Bazooka” Rhadebe. — mikel@dispatch.co.za