MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – The broadcast of Carte Blanche on crime and corruption in the local SAPS on Sunday, March 27 sent waves of shock and despondency through the community.

“The moment a cop starts behaving like a cop the public will respect him,” one concerned resident remarked.

The broadcast depicted corruption within the ranks of the local police on the one side and the zero tolerance stance by the new station commander, Superintendent Naledzani Sivhula and Superintendent Eddie van der Walt of the Crime Prevention Unit at the SAPS Makhado, on the other side.

The Limpopo Commissioner, Comm Calvin Sengani, said that it was time to get tough in the light of the high crime rate in Makhado. The programme was recorded two months ago when Supt Festus Baloyi and Supt Malange were removed as station commander and head of crime prevention respectively.

Supt Sivhula declined to comment on the broadcast. She had not yet had the opportunity to watch the footage and is not allowed to make any comment.

Supt Aliwei Mushavhanamadi, provincial spokesperson for the SAPS, said on Tuesday that he had not seen the broadcast. He gave permission, however, that statistics be released to show the current crime rate in town but at the time of going to press these statistics had not yet been released.

The perception is that, since the filming of the programme, statistics might have fallen regarding farm attacks, housebreaking and breaking into businesses. Especially over the Easter weekend, high visibility of the police and successful arrests caught the eye.

However, well-known resident, Ms Modjadji Stam, who worked tirelessly to assist the Carte Blanche production team, feels disillusioned. Modjadji expected heads to roll after the information in connection with the ma-rijuana dealers within police ranks had been exposed two months ago.

“The dealers are still dealing; they have only changed location and the cops are still in employment. How can the public respect the police if they turn a blind eye to corruption?” Modjadji asked. An-other concerned resident, Ms Sue Thomas, recalls how valuable information on drug dealing was also just ignored in the past.

Modjadji, who speaks five languages and mingles a lot with members of all communities, says that the matters touched on by Carte Blanche were just the tip of the iceberg.

“The public also see how policemen use their official vehicles as taxis and charge for the trips. And how they use their official vehicles and buy groceries while they are on duty. The public lose their respect,” says Modjadji. She feels that all the issues touched on in the broadcast portray greed for money on the part of the police members involved.

“We need policemen with moral fibre, who know right from wrong.”

There is a probability that Sunday’s broadcast of Carte Blanche will be repeated on Thursday, March 31, at 21:30.