DELMAS – In an effort to raise awareness about crime and prevention measures, probation social workers engaged with the Delmas community on Thursday, 10 October 2024. The event focused on providing the community with information and support, including services such as offender rehabilitation, victim care, and family interventions.
Probation assistance officer Pertunia Mzimba explained the purpose of the dialogue: “Through this platform, we allow community members to express the challenges they face within their families, and we work towards finding solutions to the issues raised.”
Mzimba further outlined the role they play in helping the community. “Many of the cases we handle involve minors under the age of 17. Our priority is to protect them from being incarcerated for crimes they commit. We believe that it is essential to investigate the backgrounds these children come from. Minors need discipline, not imprisonment, though we do not condone criminal behaviour.”
During the session, community members expressed concerns about the impact of drug abuse on their children, with many sharing how the habit has led to theft within their households. The issue of stolen goods being sold back to the same community was also a key point of discussion.
Dikeledi Mathe, a local resident, shared her views: “As a community, I believe we need to unite because the issue of drug abuse has severely affected us. Service users are stealing from us and selling these stolen items to others within our community, which is wrong. If someone tries to sell you stolen goods, we need to report them to the police,” she said.
This dialogue underscored the importance of collective action in addressing crime and its underlying causes within the Delmas community.
