Curbing crime: the new Orange Farm police station

Orange Farm learner aims for the sky! SHE may be grounded in poverty, but Phindile Mzizi (above), a learner from Orange Farm, believes she can fly. On July 19, she will board a plane for the first time in her life to travel to the Nasa space centre in Houston, Texas to attend the International Space School's 10-day summer school Read more

Orange Farm wins war against crime July 10, 2002 By Thomas Thale ORANGE FARM has registered a significant drop in serious crimes such as armed robbery, hijackings and murder since the establishment of a new police station last year, but cases of rape, burglary and assault are on the increase. Superintendent Thabang Letlala, station commissioner of Orange Farm, says that serious crime in the area has dropped significantly since November 2001 when the new police station was opened. He attributes this decline to improved relations between the community and the police and to the accessibility of the station. "Previously, people had to travel more than 10km to get to the station, Now the station is closer to the community, and more people are making use of our services," explains Nikiwe Hoaeane, communication officer of the Orange Farm police station. Joe Thapeli, the chairperson of the local community police forum, agrees that crime in the area has come down significantly and commends the police for cultivating good relations with the community. "Many people attend meetings of the CPF to express their grievances and often pledge their support for the good work done by the police. You can see, even now, the charge office is busy. That is because the community's faith in the police has been restored," Thapeli adds. The police will now be focusing their efforts on the remaining hotspots of Orange Farm Extension 1-4 and Lakeside Extension 2 and 7, where crime levels remain unacceptably high. The police station covers the area from Poortjie in the west to the area bordering Fochville in the south and Vanderbijlpark in the north. It is also responsible for a 17km stretch of the Golden Highway. The population of Orange Farm is estimated at 350 000. There are, however, only 114 SAPS members who have to share a fleet of 15 vehicles between them. Still the mood at the station is upbeat. Letlata agrees that the new structure and improved facilities have helped to improve the staff morale. According to Sergeant Muzi Nqayi, a communication officer at the station, the police have embarked on several community relations activities to spread awareness and inculcate a sense of civic responsibility. These activities include visiting local places of worship, establishing a forum between the police and local business structures, meeting regularly with shebeen owners to make sure that shebeens are not used as springboards of criminal conduct and organising sporting activities to keep the youth off the streets. However, rape remains a major concern at the station. Hoaeane puts this down to the culture of masculinity instilled at circumcision schools in the area. "Young men come back from these schools believing that they have to subdue women to assert their masculine authority. Some of them then engage in horrible acts like rape," Hoaeane says.. However she insists that the increase in the number of rape cases does not reflect an increase in the incidence of rape, but that more women are coming forward to report rape cases because of the improved image of the police. Aaron Motha, spokesperson for the National Institute of Crime Prevention and Rehabiltation of Offenders (Nicro) - an organisation which counsels rape survivors and rehabilitates criminals - agrees that more rape victims are coming forward to seek assistance. "Last year, we handled about 60 cases per month on average. This year, the figure has increased to 93," Motha says. He says that most rapists who have come to Nicro are school dropouts between the ages of 21 and 25. Overall, the police in the area express confidence that crime levels are on the decline. Relations between the police and the community appear to have improved markedly, with the charge office being busier as community confidence in the police returns. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400