The Plight of the Bityi Police Station

Dear Editor

The relentless crime wave in Bityi, outside Mthatha, continues unabated, with the under-resourced local police station struggling to protect residents from murderers and rapists.

Today, 7 November 2024, I joined OR Tambo Constituency Leader, Mlindi Nhanha MP, Phesheya Kwenciba Constituency Leader, Fezeka Mbiko MP, DA EC Shadow MEC for Education, Horatio Hendricks MPL, and DA Women’s Network Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson, Nomvano Zibonda, for an oversight inspection at the Bityi Police Station.

This follows the tragic mass shooting last month that claimed the lives of five members of the same family. Additionally, in separate incidents in October in Mqhekezweni, regional chieftainess Nogcinile Mtirara of the AbaThembu royal family was shot and killed, and five Grade 12 learners from Jongintaba Senior Secondary School were sexually assaulted at their residence.

The police station faces significant challenges, including:

• Lack of Vehicles: Eight visible policing vehicles and six detective vehicles were allocated, but none of the visible policing vehicles are operational. Four of the six detective vehicles are operational and are now being used for visible policing purposes.
• Rural municipal access roads are in disrepair, causing police vehicles to break down regularly.
• A three-month delay in receiving DNA and ballistics reports hinders detectives and prosecutors.
• Lack of lighting despite the fact that the municipality committed to installing lights.

No arrests have been made in the murder of Nogcinile Mtirara or the sexual assault of the five learners. We urge the SAPS to provide more resources to ensure justice is served. The station needs urgent upgrading, and the area requires a satellite police station.

We will now take up this matter in national parliament by tabling motions and bringing it to the attention of Ian Cameron MP, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Police Portfolio Committee. I will also raise the issue in the Provincial Legislature.

The DA was also welcomed to Mqhekezweni Great Place to pay our respects and relay our condolences to the AbaThembu royal family. We also gave feedback on our oversight inspection at the police station.

This was followed by oversight inspections to the rondavel where the five learners were sexually assaulted and to the Jongintaba Senior Secondary School.

Horatio Hendricks will be taking up the issue of informal boarding facilities and learner safety at these facilities in the portfolio committee on basic education in the Legislature. This will include a focus on the registration process and regulation of these facilities.

Many of these learners are repeating Grade 12 and are not being allowed to attend the school where they initially completed their matric year. This forces them to move into informal boarding facilities in other areas, which puts them at risk. We will also be taking this issue up in the portfolio committee.

The DA remains steadfast in its commitment to serving justice and prioritising the safety of Eastern Cape residents.

Regards

Yusuf Cassim MPL
Shadow MEC for Community Safety