Mpumalanga Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe has urged the communities to maintain support for the police as they [police] were now attacked by the politicians.
MEC Shongwe was addressing some community members outside the Thulamahashe Magistrate Court after the court appearance of those accused to be involved in the murder of the former Ehlanzeni Municipality Chief Whip John Ndlovu.
He said the police were doing the good work in fighting crime; therefore politicians should not associate some police officers with certain politicians.
He said police were trained to provide safety for all the people of South Africa by arresting and taking criminals to the courts.
Not all police officers are corrupt; many of them are working very hard and are doing the good work of fighting crime. The police will arrest anyone who is on the wrong side of the law; there is no one who is above the law.
It does not matter whether you are a politician or a government official, as long as you are on the wrong side of the law, the police will arrest you.
"We are serious when we say we will leave 'no stone unturned' in our efforts of making Mpumalanga a safe and secure place.," said MEC Shongwe.
He further commended the Lydenburg police for the swift arrest of 11 suspects in the murder of a man who was stoned to death by a group of people.
Shongwe acknowledged that the arrest was possible because of the dedicated men and women in blue uniform. He added that corrupt officers would be flushed out of the system.
He further encouraged people to vote in May during the municipal elections and choose their leaders. The MEC's statement was received with resistance from the community members who wore white t-shirts bearing the face of the late Mr Ndlovu.
He told them that even if there were challenges in the local government, they still needed to vote in honour of the freedom fighters who dared their lives for the liberation of the country.
I cannot be apologetic about that, even if people do not have faith on the local government system, do not forget that people died for us to be able to go and vote.
"I cannot stand here and lie, and claim easy victory at the expense of our freedom," said Shongwe.
The people told the MEC they will only vote if he promised them service delivery. They further demanded feedback on the court proceedings regarding the death of Ndlovu.
The MEC said he would support them until the case came to an end with justice being done.
"I am one of those who can stand on the box and oppose their bail application. It is true, we are wasting time by coming here, but we are doing this because we want to see justice being done," he said.
The case of the four accused with murder of the late Ndlovu was postponed to 25 May 2011.