A war of words has erupted between the Thohoyandou police and a Thohoyandou-based security company.

Their rivalry stems from an incident a fortnight ago, when the security company responded to an alarm and arrested a suspect at a business in Sibasa. The suspect, however, never saw the doors of the police station, as he is alleged to have escaped from the police van. This has led the security company to assume that the suspect was let off because he had been arrested by them and not the police.

BVS Security officer Saeed Patel said they regarded the police as partners in the fight against crime but all this had changed because of police behavior. “We received a signal of a break-in at a business site in Sibasa through our alarm systems and rushed to the scene,” he said. On arrival, they found that a bottle store had been burgled and thieves had gained entry through the roof.

Patel added that they tried to arrest the two men, but one of them managed to escape, while one was arrested. The police took the suspect to the police station, but security personnel were surprised to learn that the suspect had escaped from the van.

“We work very hard to stop these criminals, but now police are failing us. We feel that the escape is deliberate and an attempt to weaken us from doing our duty," he added. Patel said it was impossible for them to understand how a suspect could escape from a locked van.

“This incident should be thoroughly investigated, as there could be corruption involved here," he said.

“We have long experienced a poor relationship between us and the police. They seem not to appreciate the good work we are doing. We feel it is high time that we meet and sit around the table and device strategies on how best we could work together for the benefit of our communities," he added.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Capt Mashudu Malelo confirmed the escape. He said as soon as a report was received of the escape, the station commander, Brig Nelson Marungane, ordered officers to go out and recapture the suspect, failing which they would be charged with aiding an escape.

Police tracked the fugitive and brought him back, only to find that he had outstanding warrants in housebreaking cases. He has since appeared in court.

“It came to light after the rearrest of the suspect that he was aided by his co-accused, who opened the door of the van. The urgency with which the station commander addressed the matter shows we do not tolerate corruption and we will continue serving our people in the best possible way,” Malelo said.

He said the police had a good working relationship with security companies and other stakeholders. “We have monthly meetings with them and other stakeholders, where we sit down and strategize on how best we could work together. We are partners in fighting crime and we need each other ,” he said