According to the crime statistics released by Police Minister Bheki Cele last week, Kagiso in Mogale City is a crime-ridden area.
Social cohesion is also lacking there. But that is not a true reflection of Kagiso, meaning peace. I know this because I'm a loyal resident of this kasi. Kagiso is peaceful.
The problem is statisticians have mistaken Kagiso for Tshepisong. These are two different areas, in different regions.
Kagiso falls under Mogale City, Tshepisong falls under the City of Joburg.
In other words, they are serviced by different municipalities and have different mayors.
The reason the two areas get mixed up is their demarcation. While Tshepisong falls under Joburg, residents there report crime at the Kagiso Police Station.
I'm not sure why. It is probably because it's close by.
Last year, a man from Tshepisong mowed innocent people down.
He killed seven people attending a wedding in Tshepisong and was caught by Kagiso police.
When it was reported in the media, it was said the incident happened in Kagiso, yet it was in Tshepisong. Now, the world thinks Kagiso is a dangerous area.
It's sad that statistics suggest Kagiso is a haven from thugs. It's not. Tshepisong is. The latter's statistics are recorded by Kagiso Police Station. This needs to be corrected.
Accurate information should be conveyed. It is criminal to present wrong statistics. Tshepisong is not Kagiso.
- Letter by Thabile Mange
