Clemans Miyanicwe
KHORIXAS – A community activist here at the north-western town has blasted police over what residents bemoan is the lack of vehicles and the language barrier experienced by locals when they seek assistance from the police.
Gotlieb Namaseb, 43, told New Era that earlier this year he contacted the local police force to transport a body of an elderly man who died at Donkerhoek informal settlement, but was instead advised to look for a vehicle to transport the body to a mortuary himself.
“Police are experiencing problems with transport and might not come for a report but if there is an alert that meat has been stolen they will be there on time,” thundered Namaseb. A 79-year-old woman (name withheld) said that last Thursday she asked a relative to contact the police as some of her grandchildren, aged 18 and 15 years, came home after having smoked cannabis.
“My grandchildren, some of them, were caught smoking dagga with their friends in Donkerhoek and police were contacted so at least they could ask these children where they bought the dagga and trap those involved in this illegal trade,” bemoaned the pensioner.
“We were asked to come to the police station to open a case. What we wanted was the police to find out where these youngsters buy dagga,” said the elderly woman who feels law enforcement officers should investigate where the children are buying dagga and warn them the substance is prohibited. She feels unsafe to stay with children who smoke dagga as they could commit a serious crime.
Namaseb also complained that there is widespread abuse of dagga among youngsters at Khorixas and he said this could be linked to the upsurge in cases of house-breaking and other crimes.
The community activist wants law enforcement officers to search youngsters on the streets and to seize drugs and knives from them during random body searches.
Another concern raised by Namaseb is that of children being sold alcohol by some outlets.