By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.com
The Economic Freedom Fighters Gauteng is alarmed by the rising gun violence in the province.
The latest incident took place on Thursday morning in 11th Avenue, Alexander, just near Ithute Primary School.
Though the details are unknown, it is strongly believed that the victim, who eventually lost his life, was a prominent taxi owner. The deceased, according to our sources, he lived not far from where he was gunned.
“It is well known across townships in the country how taxi violence can escalate and disrupt movements and endanger the lives of residents.
“This unfortunate incident occurs not even a week after a gruesome gang-related shooting which resulted in two people losing their lives and many injured in the township of Westbury,” the EFF said in the statement.
It said South Africa was a blood-thirsty society and “this is perpetuated by the fact that there is a Minister of Police who is incapable of dealing with crime and always shows up after the crime has been committed to pose for cameras”.
“Bheki Cele is the total characterization of the criminal-syndicate called the ANC.
“The recent statistics on murders, presented by Bheki Cele himself, paint an alarming picture, with 1721 murders committed during the October to end of December 2022 period in Gauteng alone.”
The fighters said Police Commissioner of Gauteng Mr Elias Mawela had been blatantly “complacent and therefore complicit in the rising of murder cases in the province”.
“Under his leadership, members of SAPS in Gauteng are in cahoots with criminals and gangs. This is supported by the high number of unresolved obvious murder cases.
“The worn-out Gauteng MEC of Community Safety and Security Faith Mazibuko has been busy with a PR stunt operation called #OkaeMolao which translates to “Where is the law?”, when she and her department are supposed to be enforcers of the law, has failed to protect the residents of Gauteng.
“Instead, the department has vacancies that are yet to be filled, even with hundreds of policing graduates unemployed.”
The EFF argued that in South Africa, criminals had an inflated ego “because they know that the SAPS is incapacitated, understaffed and unable to provide effective safety and security to the citizens”.
“Under this government, criminals are confidence that they will not be held accountable for their actions.
“Having a lackluster Minister of Police like Bheki Cele who doesn’t inspire confidence, waters down the discipline in the police force and this ultimately leads to the weakening of the work ethic within the force. Bheki Cele must go now.
“We call on the SAPS in the Province and the taxi association in Alexandre to work together in arresting the situation before it escalates, and in apprehending the culprits so they may see their day in court.
“The MMC of Public Safety in the City of Johannesburg Municipality deployed by the EFF Commissar Dr. Mgcini Tshwaku is already attending to the shooting incidents in Westbury and will move swiftly to attend to the issue in Alexandria that demands delicacy,” said the statement.
