The scourge of crime plaguing the streets of Khayelitsha came under the spotlight over the weekend when the Khayelitsha Policing Forum (CPF) and local police officers marched through the neighbourhood.
They were joined by other crime-fighting structures, including Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) neighbourhood watches and Community in Blue.
The march started at the police station and continued into Sulani Drive via Nonkqubela Link Mall into Bonga Drive and back to the station. Protesters distributed pamphlets denouncing crime and extortion.
Zoliswa Yapi, Khayelitsha CPF Public Relations Officer (PRO), described the campaign as a wake-up call for the community.
She appealed to the residents to work with the officers and other structures to curb crime in the area.
Yapi declared that Site B, which is under Khayelitsha police precinct, is becoming a deadly crime zone. “We have a challenge of crime here which is affecting the whole community. We are struggling to get services because government vehicles and other entities are getting robbed when they come into the area.
“Even private companies that installed wifi here were robbed,” said Yapi. She stated that ambulances have to be escorted when they come into the area.
According to Yapi, crime is also affecting investment as investors are reluctant to invest in the area. She urged the community to speak out about any wrongdoing in the area.
Khayelitsha police spokesperson Sgt Asanda Dawethi reiterated Yapi’s sentiment that crime is rife in the area. He cited murders and house robberies as the most common crimes.
Dawethi lambasted the community for not reporting crime, saying it made things difficult for the officers.
“Murder is one of the cases that are reported in the station, and most of the murders are extortion-related because they are always mass killings. But the challenge is that people are not coming forward to report these incidents, making it difficult for the police to get the lead,” explained Dawethi. She cited that service delivery was affected. Municipal vehicles are reluctant to come into the area.
“Crime is affecting all of us. Even the families of extortionists are also in trouble because the ambulance cannot come because it’s their family members. I wish the extortionists can think in that way, understand that they also put their families and relatives at risk because no one will come to rescue them,” she said.
Sisanda Mantyi, a resident of France informal settlement, praised the initiative. She said it would make a big difference. “At least the criminals won’t relax and do as they please. They will see that the community is fed up with what they are doing. And we need more campaigns like this, maybe there will be some difference in our areas,” she said.
