DA to request increased resources for Muldersdrift police station

The Democratic Alliance (DA) sends condolences to the family and friends of the latest victims of crime in the Muldersdrift area. News reports today indicate that the estate manager of the Heia Safari Ranch in Muldersdrift, Paul Shulze, was shot dead last night. Just two days ago Mrs Liesl Botha was attacked in the same house where her daughter Alyssa Botha was brutally murdered a few months ago.

After the murder of his former father-in-law, Franz Richter, who was shot dead in 2007 on the same estate, Schulze reportedly said that crime in Muldersdrift was "getting out of hand". Tragically, he has now become a victim of crime himself.

Recently I visited the Muldersdrift police station to assess the facility's ability to combat a wave of murders and attacks in the immediate community. Following this, I submitted questions for written reply in Parliament to the Minister of Police about the resource allocation to stations in rural areas with such high numbers of violent attacks and murders.

In reply to these questions, the Minister of Police said the allocation of police to the Muldersdrift police station is sufficient, but did indicate that, "should the outcome of the Resource Establishment Plan require an increase in resources, the granted allocation of the police station will be increased. Should the situation indicate that the granted allocation will not sufficiently deal with the situation, a management intervention can allow the deployment of personnel outside the fixed establishment." The continuing spate of murders in the Muldersdrift policing area clearly indicates that this is urgently required.

Therefore, I will be writing to the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, to formally request the implementation of an increase of resources and a management intervention to allow the deployment of personnel outside the fixed establishment.

The Cradle of Humankind is at risk of becoming known as the Graveyard of Humankind. The sad loss of human life, with its consequent decrease in tourists to the area, the loss of economic activity and thus loss of jobs, can no longer be tolerated.

Statement by Anchen Dreyer MP, DA Constituency Head for Mogale City, April 3 2013

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