Most commandos have to close this year - vacuum in security increases

A total of 63 commando units have to be closed this financial year. This is the most units which have to be closed in one year. In 2004/2005, 17 units and in 2005/2006, 54 commando units were closed. After this year, a total of 134 of the total number of 183 commando units will have been closed. It leaves only 49 units of which 38 are earmarked to be closed in 2007/2008 and 11 which have to be closed in 2008/2009.

“The commando units played an important role in the combating of crime and especially in the gathering of intelligence through which crimes were prevented. Nine units have to close in Gauteng, which would leave Gauteng with only one unit, i.e. the West-Rand commando. In the Limpopo province there were only three units which were not closed and now the Warmbaths commando unit must also close. That leaves Limpopo with only two units. If the crime spree and especially the increase in farm murders and farm attacks in the Limpopo province is taken into account, it is clear that a vacuum has been created in security by the closure of the commandos”, Mr. Pieter Groenewald (MP), chief spokesperson on Defence for the FF Plus, said.

“The Police simply do not have the manpower and equipment to take over the role of the commandos. Crime intelligence is extremely inadequate, as was proven in the recent Jeppe case and it was precisely in this field where the commandos had played a leading role. The commandos had, through community dynamics which is essential for gathering of intelligence, acted pre-emptively to combat crime.

Community confidence in the Police is at a low point which leaves an even bigger vacuum in security. It is in conflict with the prerequisites which President Mbeki has set for the closure of the commandos”, Groenewald said.

The FF Plus will be writing a letter to President Mbeki to ask him to halt the closure of the commandos given the prerequisites which he had set.

COMMANDO UNITS WHICH HAVE TO CLOSE:

1. WEST-COAST WESTERN CAPE.
2. TWO OCEANS WESTERN CAPE
3. WORCESTER WESTERN CAPE
4. KLEIN KAROO WESTERN CAPE
5. LANGEBERG WESTERN CAPE
6. LANGKLOOF WESTERN CAPE
7. EASTERN BORDER EASTERN CAPE
8. MIDLAND EASTERN CAPE
9. QUEENSTOWN EASTERN CAPE
10. HUMANSDORP EASTERN CAPE
11. WINTERBERGE EASTERN CAPE
12. SOMERSET EAST EASTERN CAPE
13. MURRAYDENE EASTERN CAPE
14. HANTAM EASTERN CAPE
15. AMATOLA EASTERN CAPE
16. EAST GRIQULAND KZN
17. MIDMAR KZN
18. UMVOTI KZN
19. HIGHWAY KZN
20. ORIBI KZN
21. STANDERTON MPUMALANGA
22. MIDDELBURG MPUMALANGA
23. BABERTON MPUMALANGA
24. WARMBATHS LIMPOPO
25. BRONKHORSTSPRUIT GAUTENG
26. MOOT GAUTENG
27. WONDERBOOM GAUTENG
28. GATSRAND GAUTENG
29. BENONI GAUTENG
30. HEIDELBERG GAUTENG
31. KEMPTONPARK GAUTENG
32. NIGEL GAUTENG
33. VEREENIGING GAUTENG
34. SCHWEIZER RENEKE NORTHWEST
35. KOSTER NORTHWEST
36. HARTBEESFONTEIN NORTHWEST
37. OTTOSDAL NORTHWEST
38. VENTERSDORP NORTHWEST
39. STELLALAND NORTHWEST
40. CALVINIA NORTHERN CAPE
41. SPRINGBOK NORTHERN CAPE
42. HAY NORTHERN CAPE
43. HERBERT NORTHERN CAPE
44. HOPETOWN NORTHERN CAPE
45. KURUMAN NORTHERN CAPE
46. MIDDLE KAROO NORTHERN CAPE
47. SOUTHWEST KAROO NORTHERN CAPE
48. VICTORIA WEST NORTHEREN CAPE
49. PRIESKA NORTHERN CAPE
50. FOURIESBURG FREE-STATE
51. JACOBSDAL FREE-STATE
52. LADYBRAND FREE-STATE
53. REITZ FREE-STATE
54. THEUNISSEN FREE-STATE
55. ZASTRON FREE-STATE
56. VIRGINIA FREE-STATE
57. HOOPSTAD FREE-STATE
58. KROONSTAD FREE-STATE
59. PARYS FREE-STATE
60.DUNDEE/GLENCOE KZN
61. DRAKENSBERG KZN
62. UMKHOMBE KZN
63. INSELE KZN

GROEP HK’S WAT MOET SLUIT:

1. GROUP 1 WESTERN CAPE
2. GROUP 9 KZN
3. GROUP 15 GAUTENG
4. GROUP 27 KZN