MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The KwaNonqaba Police recently reminded residents of some important aspects of obtaining a protection order, and how to ensure this process runs smoothly.
Mossel Bay Advertiser has reported in the past that Sergeant Wilson Potongwana, the Domestic Violence Co-ordinator for this station, serves more than 100 protection orders in the area every month.
One of the biggest challenges the police experience is applicants of protection orders providing the wrong information, which makes serving the orders on respondents (the person who the order is against) difficult.
The station’s spokesperson, Warrant Officer Kappie Kapp, said it is important for applicants to fill in proper addresses and contact details - their own as well as the respondent’s. Also add an alternative address, such as the church or workplace of the applicant, especially if they live in an informal settlement. He added that a person could also give an alternative contact number, such as a family member’s, a trusted community or church leader’s or a work number.
If the applicant and respondent cannot be found or contacted, the application goes back to the court, and nothing more will happen, Kapp said.
He also said sometimes applicants break the conditions of their own protection order, for example, by approaching the respondent, or in the case of domestic relationships, allowing the respondent back into their home. This is a criminal offence and also contempt of court.
If an applicant wants to change their existing protection order, they must apply to the court again.
It is also important that the applicant keeps the original protection order. The police will make a copy of it, and the court also has a copy. But even though these copies exist, Kapp urged people to keep their order in a safe and accessible place. It is often the case that the order is torn up or damaged by the respondent, and it can take the police some time to find the copy. One can be obtained from court again by the applicant, but there are costs involved for this.
Kapp said the police can still arrest a person on an act of domestic violence, even if a protection order cannot be found, but an arrest on charges of assault can be made if the original order is easily accessible.
Potongwana can be contacted regarding the serving or filling out of protection orders (082 522 2058 or 044 606 5624).
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