CPF the bodyguards of Cllr Patel? CPF involved in i legal activities? Shaheen accused of racism and favouritism?
A post sent out by the Laudium CPF last week, confirming that the CPF was involved in unlawful activities, by ‘tracking down suspects and making arrests’ has caused outrage among some residents, who labelled the CPF (some of whose members are Pakistanis) as a law unto themselves, who abuse their powers.
The worrisome post stated that after the CPF recently received ‘crucial footage” they then “tracked down …and apprehended” an alleged hijacking suspect. Shockingly, the CPF post further states, “We also request residents to cooperate and share footage when approached by… CPF members conducting investigations.” A number of residents have, since the post went viral, complained to the Laudium Sun asking why the Laudium CPF members were allowed to break the law by posing as policemen or illegally performing the tasks of the SAPS. Following the complaints, the Laudium Sun contacted the Laudium Station Commander, who said she was busy with an ‘Easter Operation’ and would respond as soon as she got a chance. The Laudium Sun also contacted Tshwane Police District Communication Co-ordinator, Captain Johan Van Dyk, who told the Laudium Sun, that he needed to ask the Laudium Police Station for more details on the arrest allegedly made by the CPF, emphasizing that the CPF was not allowed to do the work of the police or act in any way as police officials, adding, “CPF is not a reporting point and they do not have the mandate to collect evidence. It can hamper the investigation and court cases as the defence can argue that the evidence was tampered with before it was handed over to the police.”
This is not the first time that the Laudium CPF, under the so called leadership of Shaheen Wahab, stands accused of exceeding their powers. There have been instances in the past when certain CPF members were accused of interfering in police work, interfering with evidence in criminal cases, going beyond police lines during crime scenes, intimidating or questioning witnesses, hiding away suspects accused of committing crime, siding with certain Pakistani groups and even intimidating or influencing complainants to withdraw cases. Shaheen, an active member of the ANC, has also been accused of being racist and biased towards other political parties besides the ANC. Many residents claim that Shaheen and Cllr Patel acted as if they were the Sheriffs of Laudium, with some even saying that they influenced the local police to turn a blind eye to their ‘illegal’ actions in exceeding their powers in these kinds of matters. Since Shaheen has taken over as Chairman of the CPF, confidence in the Laudium police to protect and serve the community has hit the bottom, with more and more neighbourhoods opting to rather close off their streets to curb crime instead of depending on the police. The CPF is seen by many as being weak in being pro-active to fight crime, with just one example being that to this day, the CPF has not made any public announcements or petitioned the local Council regarding streetlights in Laudium that do not work during the night. The CPF professes to patrol the streets of Laudium during the night, yet it is unknown if they even know how many streetlights are non-functioning in the area. This, despite the non-functioning streetlights contributing to higher crime in the area. Unfortunately, many residents now see the CPF as bodyguards for Cllr Patel and being active mostly at ANC events.