Johannesburg - Aggrieved Diepsloot residents protesting against the rise in crime in their area are pleading with President Cyril Ramaphosa to come to their community and provide lasting solutions to their problems.
Community leaders took their concerns to Ramaphosa’s doorstep at the Union Building in Pretoria, calling for his intervention.
The leaders said they were suspending their protest until they get the green light as to when Ramaphosa will go to their community.
According to the latest crime statistics, 20 people were killed in Diepsloot in the first three months of this year.
Residents complained about killings and robberies that plagued their community; a number of them said they lived in fear of violent gangs which walk into their homes and ransack appliances, money, and other valuables.
The community went on the rampage amid the killings of five people since the beginning of the month; victims include a teenage girl and former Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson John Makola.
Brazen criminals, after shooting Makola, made off with groceries valued at over R20 000.
This is not the first time Doepsloot residents took to the street due to a lack of service delivery and a high crime rate in their area; in 2022, a mob attacked and killed Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi.
Residents said they lost faith, especially in Police Minister Bheki Cele, who physically visited the area more than once last year.
Cele promised to add more police vehicles and SAPS members from “Amaberete” to show more police visibility and patrol hotspots.
Residents conceded that indeed more officers were deployed; however, they complained that the officers often patrolled on main roads, and when requested to penetrate the informal settlements, they were often told that they too were not safe.
On Monday night, some residents set alight a number of structures, which they said were being used as hiding places for criminals.
On Tuesday morning, the demonstration turned violent as some protesters torched stalls belonging to hawkers. This resulted in a number of shop owners closing their businesses in order to keep their belongings safe.
One South African businessman who lives in Diepsloot said he is sad and disappointed after a handful of protesters went to his tyre clinic workshop, grabbed tyres and set them alight.
“I have this workshop within my community; I have employed people who are South Africans, but still, my fellow brothers attacked and destroyed my business. This means that they have taken bread from one of their own,” said the businessman.
However, Nkala said what happened was unfortunate and that it was done by unknown people.
“After we held a meeting on Wednesday, we took a decision to suspend the protest. We suspect that a few people committed this unfortunate crime. We apologise to the businessman and will keep in touch with him,” deputy chairperson of the Diepsloot Community Forum, Lefa Nkala, said.
Nkala expressed happiness when Presidency officials allowed the leaders access to engage on their issues.
“I am happy that the delegation is allowed inside. We hope that our outcry will reach the president, and hopefully he will come to the community. We hope that they will give us a date as to when Ramaphosa will come to their community. We know the president is a busy man, but we wish for him to make time and squeeze us in as the people of Diepsloot,” Nkala said.
Gauteng Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko said drones with camera features such as face recognition will be used to fight crime in Diepsloot and other hotspots.
There were isolated reports that some South African nationals were chasing out foreign nationals after blaming them for crime in their area.
Meanwhile, SAPS confirmed the arrest of 50 undocumented persons in Diepsloot yesterday afternoon.
“The operation aims to remove illegal immigrants from abandoned shacks and address landlords that lease their shacks to undocumented people for aiding and abetting,” said SAPS.
Provincial police commissioner Lt-General Elias Mawela, when addressing residents, said people need to say enough is enough with crime and make a decision to work together with the police.
The Star