At a time when the police are being attacked left and right by criminals and the very community they serve, one family did the opposite when they gave praise and commended them for the good work they are doing.
Members of the Ehlers-family of Nandoni outside Thohoyandou see things differently.
In 2015, the family became victims of crime and lost valuables such as firearms, cell phones, and identity and bank cards during a robbery. Ms Trishio Ehlers (32) was stabbed and had her hands tied during the robbery.
The Thohoyandou Trio Crime Task Team, led by W/O George Mutavhatsindi, worked around the clock and had the suspects arrested, who were given long sentences. Ndinannyi Maduka (24) and Rudzani Makhaya (29) were sentenced to 15 and 20 years for robbery and possession of illegal firearms.
Last Thursday, the highly impressed family visited the Thohoyandou police where they handed over certificates of appreciation to the station commissioner, Brig Willy Mashaba, W/O George Mutavhatsindi and D/C Ndivhuho Duncan Ramuntshi, the detectives who handled the case. The certificates were handed over in the presence of management and officials from head office of Safety and Security in Polokwane.
In handing over the certificates, Mr Chris Ehlers said as they were very impressed by the work done by the Thohoyandou police in solving their case. "As a family we were going through trauma after the incident, but the police gave us hope. They did all in their power and in no time the perpetrators were arrested and the stolen items recovered. It did not end there; the police always kept us updated until the robbers were given long sentences."
He said that they appreciated the good work the station was doing. "We can attest that the police are doing good work in the community, and they deserve a pat on the back."
Thohoyandou police station commissioner Brig Willy Mashaba said they were delighted to see that there were people who could see the good the police were doing. "We are always accused of not doing enough for the community, but when people like the Ehlers couple come and appreciate our work, we feel very encouraged and empowered to do even more. We need the support of our community to win the war against crime," said Mashaba.
Mr Edward Magadani from the head office of Safety and Security said it was quite encouraging to see members of the community appreciating the good work done by the police.