Mozambique pledges help to curb border crime in northern KZN

The Mozambican government has committed to working closely with the SA Police Service to curb ongoing border crime, particularly vehicles stolen in northern KwaZulu-Natal. 

This was the message national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola delivered to stakeholders during an engagement session at the Kwamduku community hall in Hluhluwe on Tuesday. 

Masemola was leading a delegation of senior officers joined by provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to assess the response by police to cross-border crimes. 

The visit follows the recent torching of at least six vehicles, including a tourist bus and a truck, on the R22 between Hluhluwe and Mbazwana.

It is alleged communities living next to the Mozambique border are fed up with authorities’ lack of action in cubing the theft of motor vehicles that are transported to Mozambique. 

Masemola said residents were angry about the crimes, especially because once their vehicles had been stolen and crossed the border they did not come back.

He said they invited a delegation from Mozambique to come and discuss frustrations with the community.

“They have committed to work with us. We are going to have more engagements from today and come back to give the community a response within a week or two,” he said. 

Masemola said more than 100 police officers have been deployed to the area since Sunday, including special crime-fighting units. 

“In the long term we are going to establish a unit, which has been approved in a district but is yet to be approved at national level, which will deal with these crimes.

“We are also going to fill the vacant post under the organised crime unit and bring them closer to the area so they can deal with crime.”

TimesLIVE