Brigadier Sanele Zama, Manenberg police station commander
I want the community to take pride in Manenberg police station.
The police station serves Tambo Village, Heideveld, Surrey Estate, Greenhaven, Welcome Estate, Vanguard Estate, Athlone Industria and surrounding areas.
Manenberg is also regarded as a thoroughfare. People travelling to the city on the freeways, railway system and public transport routes must come through Manenberg.
Manenberg as a policing precinct has many challenges, from gang conflict, and illegal gang activities, among others, which affect the morals of society at its very core. This will leave anyone disheartened.
Murders, assaults, sexual violation, substance abuse, domestic violence, truancy, teenage pregnancy, abandoned newborn babies are just some of the things police have to face head on while staying focused and acting professional.
We have many good police officers at Manenberg SAPS, but we also have community members with ulterior motives.
We want our community to be proud of their police station and the men and women in blue who serve them.
We do fall short of 100% excellent service, but we constantly strive to serve our diverse community and we want our community and young people to see us as friends and not enemies.
We have received new recruits, and most of these young men and women are from Manenberg. We are definitely changing the face of Manenberg.
Recently we have experienced young children throwing bricks, bottles and other objects over the back wall of the police station resulting in SAPS vehicles and members' private vehicles being damaged. They throw objects without any regard for who might be standing in the yard. A brick hitting one of our members could result in death.
How will we be able to serve the community with damaged vehicles or members being injured?
Sadly, the community defaced the station by stealing the SAPS badge and painting graffiti on the walls. The community needs to realise this police station belongs to you.
I want to invite anyone who is interested to help make a peace garden in the front of our police station.