The Government is going to make sure that its laws favour citizens and deprive and deal a blow to criminals. This was revealed by the Minister of Police, Mr Nathi Mthethwa, during the official opening of Botlokwa Police Station in Botlokwa last Friday afternoon.

The station, which cost about R23million, is one of the two police stations that Mthethwa and Limpopo’s MEC for Safety and Security, Dikeledi Magadzi, officially opened on Friday. The other station that was opened is Jane Furse police station, which is about 230km from Polowane.

Mthethwa said the opening of the two stations was part of government’s program to deliver visible policing to rural areas that had been overlooked before. He added that the task of maintaining safety and security was critical to the success of all government’s programmes. “All our actions and policies are aimed towards achieving the goal of creating a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, peaceful, secure and prosperous South Africa. The success of any operation depends on the active participation of the ordinary citizens,” he said.

Mthethwa also urged the community to report any criminal activity, including the illegal possession of and dealing in fire-arms and ammunition.

”While the rights of all citizens need to be protected as entrenched in our constitution, rights of criminals must not supersede those of law-abiding citizens," he added.

Mthethwa said he was aware of police officers who refused to attend community members who visited the stations. He assured the community that officers who did not want to work would be removed from the police service. “I am appealing to the community to report all officers who ill-treat them, so that we can deal with them," he said.

Mthethwa said he could not allow a situation where police delayed in responding to a crime report which might lead to the loss of lives and said there would be no mercy for police officers who were lazy. “We are going to make sure that police rule the streets instead of criminals ruling the streets. Our mothers and children must walk in the street, even at night, without being afraid of getting raped and killed," Mthethwa added.

He added that he was aware of the frustrations from the community members, because of the criminals who continued to harass and attack residents, thereby creating the impression that nothing was being done by the authorities. He said the first step in ensuring the arrest of these criminals was for members of society to report the heartless criminals to the police.

Station Commissioner Lt Col Nditsheni Thukhutha said she was happy about the new station. She said her station, which will service 17 villages, would address the challenges as they had 74 committed police officers.