Johannesburg - The Gauteng provincial legislature portfolio committee on community safety has welcomed a decision by the SAPS to appoint experienced detectives to probe the murder of Tshwane ANC Youth League member Lethabo Nkoana.
Nkoana was shot and killed last week Saturday at the Temba Stadium in Hammanskraal while trying to resolve a squabble between ANCYL members during a meeting held at the venue.
He is the latest victim of the fierce infighting that has engulfed the Youth League over the past few months.
In June, disgruntled ANCYL members marched to the ANC's Luthuli House headquarters in Joburg where they demanded the disbandment of the youth wing's national executive committee (NEC) which they said, on numerous occasions, had failed in putting the interests of young people first.
In responding to those queries, the ANC national office dissolved the league's NEC and appointed a National Youth Task Team to facilitate the elective conference which is scheduled for March next year.
The once vibrant organisation has battled since the departure of its former president and now EFF leader Julius Malema in 2012.
Following Nkoana’s death, the legislature community safety committee led by Mapiti Matsena this week conducted one of its routine oversight visits to the Temba Police Stations in Hammanskraal.
Matsena, a former regional leader of ANC in Tshwane, said their visit to the area was as part of its programme of visiting the top 40 priority Police stations in Gauteng.
“The 40 priority police stations have been identified as police stations located in communities where the levels of crime are extremely high as compared to other areas in the province,” he said.
Matsena also maintained that his committee was briefed by senior police officials at the Temba Police Station on the progress made on Nkoana's death.
“Police briefed the Committee that they have made significant progress and are at an advanced stage of making an arrest. Officials further briefed the Committee that an incident of this nature might have been avoided if proper arrangements were made to provide safety and security by law enforcement," he said.
He added: “The Committee applauds the MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko and the Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela for the dedication and commitment they have displayed in dealing with this case by appointing Senior Provincial police detectives who are both highly skilled and qualified to deal with such cases."
Matsena further urged the police in Gauteng to deal “with cases of this nature with the seriousness they deserve” and that the judiciary give perpetrators harsher sentences for violent crimes to ensure that no life is lost without extreme consequences.
The #NotInMyName organisation also paid a visit to Nkoana's family home in Mamelodi, northeast of Pretoria on Wednesday.