Due to a rise in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, Police Minister Bheki Cele will today no longer engage in a feedback meeting with the residents of Zandspruit.

Cele was today due to engage the community on the improvement of service delivery by the police in the area.

The meeting was informed by the killing of eight youths on 17 May, in acts of vigilantism and criminality in Zandspruit.

Following the incident, the Minister met with community leadership structures to find out why some in this community took the law into their own hands.

“The meeting revealed a trust deficit between residents and the police, brought about by numerous claims of rampant police corruption and overall substandard service delivery from the Honeydew police station,” the Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

As a way forward, Cele ordered a police task team to look at identified problems within the station and how service delivery can be improved.

The Ministry said Cele remains committed to returning to the area within a month in order to provide feedback to the residents on what has been done to enhance the station’s performance and service delivery. 

“The Ministry of Police remains reassured that the South African Police Service in the province is hard at work on eradicating crime. It is encouraged about the progress made so far in arresting criminals through Operation ‘Okae Molao’, which targeted Zandspruit and surrounding areas,” the police said.

The operation has seen over 350 suspects been arrested for various crimes including assault GBH, theft, fraud, possession of drugs and stolen goods, while another 204 illegal immigrants were also arrested and taken in for processing.

Source: South African Government News Agency