No one is safe in Cape Town, particularly those who reside in the townships. The killing of people, especially on weekends, has become a norm.
As residents, we are no longer concerned about the lives that are lost, but curious about the number of the dead people.
In a country like South Africa, where everything is a joke, we live by God’s grace. Since last month, there has been shooting incidents every weekend in our communities. If it’s not in Khayelitsha, it’s Gugulethu or Philippi, Mfuleni, Nyanga etc.
We need to ask serious questions about these perpetrators. Where do they get these guns?
We need to find the suppliers. Who provides the criminals with these firearms? Why is it easy for everyone to access a gun in this country?
Bheki Cele, the former Minister of Police, used to organise numerous Imbizos in a quest to curb crime. Nothing constructive came out of those Imbizos, instead we continued to see people dying every day. He left his position before he gave us feedback about those Imbizos. There is no need for community dialogue or Imbizos anymore now.
We know our challenges. Our government needs to attack this issue once and for all. But I know that is impossible because some government officials are involved. If what the KwaZulu Natal police commissioner Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said about Senzo Mchunu is true that means we are in serious trouble. There are more such people who are holding higher positions in our government.
My concern is what would happen if the community decides to take the law into their own hands. Many people have lost trust in the officers. Even if they see something suspicious occurring in their communities, they keep quiet. We’ve seen instances where some of the officers have been arrested for being involved in crime, including robbery and extortion. Honestly speaking, we are on our own. The people who are tasked to protect us have turned their backs against us. All we need to do is to stand up and unite against the criminals. We need to reclaim our streets. Our government is failing us.
