SAPS does not want our money

Below is a copy of an email I just received.

I came to the conclusion that the SAPS does not want our money any more.

I contributed to the DPV under the understanding that I am contributing to the SAPS and assisting them to better perform their duties. As you can see from the email below I was sadly mistaken. The SAPS does not want our money or our assistance.

I am under no circumstance prepared to pay yet another security company to do the work that the government by way of the SAPS is supposed to do in the first place. The SAPS must perform now. The eyes of the country, from the president to me, is on them.

I can not believe that I am forced to pay one security company to look after my property because the SAPS is too lame to do their work properly in the first place. Now it seems we want to create yet another security company to look after our interests. This is absolute bullshit. The SAPS and two security companies! No Way.

The SAPS has a duty to safeguard the country, it’s people and their property. We showed that we are prepared to assist (even additional to the phenomenal taxes we already pay) to support the SAPS. We supplied finance for a vehicle and this is now summarily stopped by the SAPS. This proves to me they do not want our money they do not want our help. I hope this is a sign that they are now eventually willing to do the work they are paid for by our taxes.

No more security companies – I say: SAPS now you are left to your own devices – do your work!

Kind Regards
Loot

“Dear DPV members,
I have some disappointing news to report regarding the Dedicated Police Vehicle (DPV) project. I have included below an e-mail from Volker Hoffmeister (chairman of Welridge RA, our neighbouring residents association and partners in the DPV project, and managing director of the Honeydew Precinct company which operates the vehicle) which is being sent to all DPV members. Please read this mail carefully, as it contains all important facts regarding the current status of the project.

In a nutshell, the DPV has currently been recalled as per details in the mail below. We hope that sanity will prevail at SAPS headquarters, and that this decision can be reversed speedily. However, we are running out of time, and require this matter to be rectified before the end of this month, otherwise we will not be in a position to continue with the project.

We have a Riverwel committee meeting tomorrow evening to discuss this matter, and to discuss how we would fit into the so-called plan-B assuming that SAPS do not come to the party. I am also attending the AGM of Panorama RA on Thursday evening, where there will be a presentation of their new security measures, which are similar to the plan-B mentioned below.

By early next week I will report back on any news regarding the DPV, alternatively on a possible new security measure involving a private security company. In the event that the DPV does not continue, we may need to call a special meeting to discuss ways forward.

In the interim I would like to request you to bear with us. We are doing everything possible to get the DPV back on the street and to secure its future. If you have any queries, please contact me via e-mail or call me on 082-828-2712 (8h00-17h00).
Regards
Johannes Gutmayer
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Message from Volker Hoffmeister:

With the new S.A.P.S. policy of making police stations more efficient, the staff of the previous Area Boards have been allocated to stations, and the Area Boards are in the process of being dissolved.

As a result we were not surprised to receive a whole new team of Directors who report to the new Station Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner Oswald Reddy.

Everybody involved with the Honeydew Police Station welcomed this move. At long last we will have a strong presence of people who can make decisions - we all thought that this will be for the benefit of all residents.

However, one of the Directors, a certain A. Nengovhela, who is responsible for 'Crime Prevention', has taken it upon himself to try and destroy not only our Vehicle Project that has served us well over the last 7 years, but also other initiatives - here I refer to the "Eyes and Ears"-project which has effectively been shelved (although a S.A.P.S. spokesperson has denied that) as you could read in The Star last week. In fact, Director Nengovhela has effectively stopped our vehicle from patrolling as from 1.03.2007!!!

Director A. Nengovhela instructed us to remove certain signage on the vehicle, the blue light, the radio and siren. We obliged, and sent all our empolyees/police reservists that man the vehicle ON REST, however, our employees still man the Operations Room and are in possession of the vehicle cell phone, thus will react to calls from our area and act as best as they can to despatch S.A.P.S. vehicle/s that may be available.

The actions of Director A. Nengovhelo have taken place whilst we are submitting details of our vehicle project to Director T. Phefo of the Legal Department of S.A.P.S. Gauteng Province as well as the Provincial Commissioner Naidoo (also awaiting result of request for an appointment with the latter):
1. We do have a valid contract with the S.A.P.S. Deputy National Commissioner which regulates the donation of the use of vehicle/s only.
2. Our meetings with Director T. Phefo revolve around the manner in which we man the vehicle and where the vehicle/s are supposed to be deployed. This seems to be Director Nengovhela's "bone of contention".
In terms of the S.A.P.S. National policy of Sector Policing, we expect the area that donates the use of the vehicle to be declared a Sector. Our vehicle is then supposed to patrol our Sector, and may leave the area only under certain predetermined and compelling reasons. The new Station Commissioner tells me that he does not have a problem with that, but so far has not stopped his Director from issuing instructions that are counter-productive.

We have learnt that Director T. Phefo has now made his report in answer to our new Station Commissioner's request for legal comment to our Vehicle Project, to the Provincial Commissioner Naidoo.
Whilst we have had positive reactions from various quarters in the S.A.P.S. hirarchy (but not yet from the decision maker, Provincial Commissioner Naidoo) the situation has become unacceptable to us all, and we are therefore busy with all haste to find a solution which we call plan 'B'. This plan should only be activated if the Provincial Commissioner Naidoo rejects our vehicle scheme of 7 - 8 years, and here I hesitate to use the word "ideally".
This plan envisages to have the Body representing all participating residents / Residents Associations - the HONEYDEW PRECINCT, Section 21 Company - to employ a private security company with the proviso that our trusted police reservists will be employed by such security company, if they so chose, to patrol our areas (Randridge Village Association, RiverWel and Welridge R.A.). Whilst not the same as our plan 'A', the Vehicle Project, it would be the next best as it does not leave individual households to negotiate a security contract, instead making use of a combined financial force. HONEYDEW PRECINCT is registered as a Public Benefit Company with the Receiver of Revenue, and managed by unpaid volunteers. This will continue to be the case even if we have to adopt Plan 'B'.

These are our opinions - the WRA Committee, the Directors of HONEYDEW PRECINCT (the umbrella organisation of the vehicle project) and the Honeydew Community Police Forum - and we shall naturally present facts around plan 'A' and suggestions for a plan 'B' during the next AGM which, under the circumstances, will have to take place during this month. Whatever the outcome, it will give your WRA Committee a renewed or a new mandate which will have to be 'sold' to all existing participating households - it will be the choice of our individual residents .
I would appreciate if you will allow us to complete our homework as speedily as possible. We shall report back within the next few days.

If you still have any question, feel free to contact me again.

We do appreciate your continued support.

With best regards
Volker Hoffmeister
W.R.A. Chairman
M.D. HONEYDEW PRECINCT”