Police and family in row over service

An ugly row is brewing between the Thohoyandou police and a family in Thohoyandou Block F.

This follows a shooting incident a fortnight ago, which left the family’s house sprayed with bullets by unknown assailants. The incident happened in the early hours of Saturday, 26 September, and has left the family traumatised as they do not know who the assailants are and the motive behind the shooting.

Four bullet holes are still visible in the wall of the house, but what is worrying the family most is the fact that the police do not seem interested in the case as they have done nothing about it in all this time. According to the family, seven days after the incident no case had been opened and nothing has been done at the incident scene.

Ms Tshinakaho Tshisikule said they were fast asleep at around 01:00 in the morning when they heard gunshots. “We woke up and saw police at the entrance of our yard and it seemed as if they were looking for some evidence on the lawn outside the yard. We saw them picking up something, which we believe were spent cartridges of a gun. They just asked us what we had heard and told us they had heard gunshots, which were fired at our house."

She added that they were very surprised as to how the police came to know that the shots had been fired at their house, "but they told us to go back to the house without telling us what was happening". She said that she picked up a bullet next to a window and took it to the police in the morning, but the police did not even bother about it and just said they would follow it up.

"What made me more confused is that they did not even bother asking my name and particulars or contact numbers,” she said.

Tshisikule further said she felt very badly treated. She said that she had not attended school, but knew that a crime scene should be cordoned off for the police to gather evidence, which was not done there. "I also think they were supposed to guard the scene, so that no one could tamper with it, but that also was not done."

She said that she tried to open a case, "but did not get any help and up until now, no one seems to bother about our safety." She stated that they no longer felt safe as "those who are supposed to safeguard us are no longer doing their job and we are at the mercy of criminals."

The granny’s daughter, Ms Elisa Tshisikule (21), a student at Univen, said it was hard for the family to sleep peacefully and for her to study at night. “We do not know the reason for the shooting and whether they will come back. We just hope the police will do their work and speedily bring the suspects to book before anyone is hurt,” she said.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Major Mashudu Malelo said the family was free to see senior police officers if they felt that they were not satisfied with the service they got from the officers on duty. "The police have an open-door policy as police and the family could see all senior officials at the station, including the station commissioner, if they feel they were not properly treated," he said.

News - Date: 09 October 2015

Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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