WE WILL DESTROY GANGSTERS HERE IN MOOKGOPHONG" - MEC MASEMOLA

Limpopo MEC for Community Safety and Transport, Namane Dickson Masemola 

Limpopo MEC of Safety and Transport Namane Dickson Masemola finally lands to Mookgophong township after various calls were made by local residents. 

Several marches against issues such as gangsterism, were held in the past few weeks following the recent death of Phineas Sithole who was stabbed to death at a local tavern. 

The suspect for his death has since been arrested and will appear back to Mookgophong Magistrate court on the 31 March 2020.

Mookgophong community residents call for justice outside Magistrate court in support of Phineas Sithole's family. 

In response to the calls, MEC Masemola invited local residents to an Imbizo on Wednesday 22 January 2020 at Mookgophong Primary School to present issues that are affecting them. 

Modimolle-Mookgophong Mayor Marlene van Staden, who was also present at the venue, told the residents to be honest with one another about their safety concerns. "We're here to listen to you and make sure that your intentions stay clear and that is to make Mookgophong a safer place for residents that live here," she said. 

Amongst the issues that were raised was nepotism and cadre deployment in government jobs (particularly Traffic Department), stabbings in the area, illegal immigrants employment at farms, corrupt police officers and the mine that is set to operate around the area. 

Local Councillors were also accused of not leading the community to its full potential nor get involved in marches organized by residents. 

In response to some of the accusations being laid against policemen, Provincial Deputy Commissioner Jan Scheepers asked community members to report corrupt 'men in blue uniform' to him personally. He promised to protect whoever that will individually inform him about those officers. 

"As the provincial management we will not tolerate corruption and members being involved in crime. There is no way that the Police can win against crime without your cooperation and that is why we have decided to relaunch the Community Policing Forum (CPF) in the whole district. We will have public meetings to make sure that we choose people from this area for this area, both in town & rurals, " Commissioner Scheepers told the residents. 

When coming to issues of government jobs, MEC Masemola said he will give MEC of CoGHSTA Basikopo Makamu that report as it is in line with his office. And he will report to MEC of LEDET Thabo Mokone about the mining project that could possibly divide the residents. 

MEC emphasized that gangsters will be destroyed in the area. " I understand that there are gangsters around the township who can be identified by the clothes they put on, especially at night. Those gangs must be hunted, followed-up. We must destroy those gangsters here in Mookgophong," the MEC harshly warned. 

"There are boys in this province who attempted to establish gangsterism, it's not a new thing that we're going to deal with. We're very much ahead of them in terms of plans, strategies, logistics and operations. We're far ahead of them. We have dealt with this kind of matter and there is no way that we can fail, " continued the MEC. 

"This township is too small. We will close it for one night and I can assure you that this place will never be the same moving forward," he ended.