South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel are expected to arrive in Khayelitsha on Wednesday 1 April to help maintain peace in the area.
Khayelitsha Police Station commander Brigadier Khuthala Masakala made this announcement at a pre-Easter service at the station on Friday 27 March.
She said the soldiers will work alongside police officers and other relevant community stakeholders.
Crime remains a major concern in Khayelitsha
Masakala acknowledged crime remained a serious issue in the Khayelitsha policing precinct, but emphasised a safety plan was in place to address it.
“We have additional officers deployed from the province. We also work with Law Enforcement and Metro Police. Our members are deployed across the entire precinct.”
She urged community members to report any suspicious activities to the police station.
Masakala also said Site C was being closely monitored following two separate shooting incidents there in which six people were killed and two others injured.
Mzolisi Malungisa, Khayelitsha Community Policing Forum (CPF) public relations officer, identified extortion as one of the biggest challenges facing the community.
Extortion networks targeting local businesses
“It has a wide network, and older individuals are using children to collect money from local businesses. Everyone is affected – shop owners, churches, meat stall owners and so on.”
He echoed Masakala’s statement that a safety plan was in place, but declined to provide further details.
Khayelitsha Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum (SCPF) member and leader of Disciplines of Christ Ministries in Site C Rev Aaron Makili described the atmosphere in Site C as tense following the recent shootings.
“As churches, we need to stand up and speak out against what is happening in our communities,” he said. “We must be more vocal about what we believe to be wrong.”
