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MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Amid the spate of gender-based violence and the threat of continued harassment of foreign nationals as xenophobia sweeps the country, Mossel Bay police have taken a firm stand.
On Monday, 9 September, commanding officer of the KwaNonqaba Police, Lieut-Col Azisa Mandongana took receipt of a memorandum from a handful of women who made a stand against gender-based violence during a peaceful protest at the KwaNonqaba Police Station.
Mandongana, viewing this type heinous crime with renewed gravitas, has instructed her staff to be particularly mindful during investigation processes. “We want to see the victims of gender-based violence report these crimes with confidence, knowing the South African Police Service cares.
"We don’t want community members to leave here more traumatised than when they arrived. We want to support them as much as we can, regardless of our challenges.” The KwaNonqaba Police Station premises is in a dire condition. This has been reported on several times before in the Mossel Bay Advertiser.
According to Mandongana, the KwaNonqaba Police are devoted to service delivery to the entire community in their policing area. “All people are our people - our clients who deserve our protection. As for the ugly business of xenophobia, we must remember that we are all foreigners somewhere in the world. Therefore, let us not judge.”
Mandongana, in her approach to actively involve the community in the fight against crime, continued by saying that the most effective defence against xenophobia is the integrity and calmness of community leaders, as well as those leaders among the foreign residents living in the station’s policing area.
“We are a small community in comparison to others, where xenophobia seems to be wreaking havoc, but we can set an example by living in harmony,” she concluded.
Read a related article here: Women take a stand in Kwa
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