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Congress of the People MPL in Gauteng is leading a campaign by the community of Thokoza township for the disbandment of the community police forum, and for the station commander to be removed.

This follows the gruesome killing of the local taxi association chairperson Thamsanqa Tyobo and two other taxi owners recently about 50 metres away from the Thokoza police station.

COPE MPL Ndzipho Kalipa and spokesperson for transport in the provincial legislature says the community has launched a campaign to demand the total break- up of the police forum as a hopeless structure which did not assist the community.

Cope has repeatedly demanded an explanation from the police chief in Thokoza about why police intelligence unit failed to monitor the threatening taxi war. The attacks have sparked widespread criticism of the police immobility by township residents in preventing crime in the area.

He further called for the immediate removal of the police station commander accusing him of repeatedly upsetting the community instead of empowering them, as criminal elements in the area have wantonly struck a wave of criminal aggression towards the community without fear of arrest.

The community is also concerned that the police investigations to these criminal activities were not resulting in any arrests of criminals in the area. A series of protest demonstrations and marches to the police station calling for the dismissal of the police station chief and the disbandment of the police forum will start soon.

"What is most disheartening to the community is that the police authority in the area did not seem to understand its lack of police intelligence initiatives to scrutinize criminal information and leads which rendered themselves vulnerable and incapable of launching pre-emptive strikes against the criminals," he added.