Good Hope Harvest Ministry members’ faith is tested by Nemato SAPS members who often abuse church parking on Sundays and subsequently show no remorse when they are asked to park properly or remove the police vehicles.
Following multiple friendly engagements between police officers and the church members which yielded no positive outcome, the church which is located opposite the Nemato Police Station decided to vent the burning issue to TotT.
On two consecutive Sundays, November 29 and December 6, church members who own vehicles struggled to find parking due to police officers who parked their vehicles parallel to the church veranda.
When church members arrived at church on November 29, they went into the police station to ask police to park properly or remove their cars. Church members said a friendly female police officer told them that she was unable to remove the vehicles as the car keys were locked inside the offices of the police who worked night shift.
The church members said they left a message asking the female police officer to ask her colleagues to park their vehicles facing the venue, as that would allow space for church members to park there too.
However on December 6, church members said they came across the same problem which they perceive as a slap in the face after their polite appeal.
One of the church members said: “The previous Sunday we found one police vehicle which we reported to them as improperly parked, but this Sunday they even parked three improperly. When we asked them to remove the vehicles they told us the same thing – the keys are locked inside offices of officers who worked night shift.”
One of the church members said she was disappointed that they did not have parking at the venue they rent for church meetings. She said the church did not have a problem with police using the church parking, but they should park properly and considerately.
She added that some of the police said they could not park inside the police station because it was being renovated. She went on to state that in August two police officers had had a bad attitude, asking where they should park.
Asked for a comment police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said: “The management of the station has taken note of the concerns and will address the staff on this issue. The Nemato SAPS is currently undergoing renovations for the last few months and parking on these premises is a challenge, therefore the vehicles have been parked outside the premises.”
She added that for any future problems the station commander could be contacted to assist and address the matter.
