The Limpopo MEC for Safety and Security has expressed her anger and frustration at the Thohoyandou police station, which has failed to improve in combating crime besides being given the necessary resources some years back.

Speaking to City Press this week, MEC Dikeledi Magadzi said she is angry that the Thohoyandou police station, which was given all the necessary resources like cars, personnel and computers immediately after it was declared a presidential station together with twenty other stations in the country in 1999, has not made improvements.

Magadzi said she is concerned that the crime rate in Thohoyandou is escalating, instead of going down. She said she has given the management of the station time to shape up or ship out. "Since this station has been declared a presidential station, it was given special preference, with all resources provided.

"We gave the station enough cars, personnel, and computers, but still people are complaining that whenever they phone or visit the station they are still given the same excuses.

"In our assessment for the past six months, we have found that the Thohoyandou police station failed to improve in terms of combating crime, instead it is getting worse. At the end, it became the worst in the Vhembe District. They have everything, but they still fail us.

"If you talk about any type of crime, you get it most in Thohoyandou. We talk about economic crime like burglary, rape, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and other crimes, you find them at worst in Thohoyandou," said Magadzi.

Magadzi said she is concerned that there are other police stations from Vhembe and other police stations in the province that are doing well besides having little resources, like Polokwane, Louis Trichardt and Makhado. She said her other concern is that the good work done by other stations in Vhembe are being tarnished by the bad performance of the Thohoyandou police station.

Magadzi said she has given the whole management of the station an ultimatum to shape up or ship out. "If I had it my own way, three quarters of the station would have been removed by yesterday, Wednesday."

"These people are so relaxed. They just don't care. If they can't work, they must give way for others who can do the job. I think, on behalf of our president, our people have the right to be protected and to feel free and secure.