- In a quest to turn the tide, Lingelethu Community Policing Forum (CPF) and its police counterparts held an awareness drive at ePakini in Ilitha Park.
- They held a special Spine and Ngcwalazi roads on Friday 15 December and were joined by other community stakeholders.
- With the festive season spirit hovering around the country, criminals are on the prowl targeting unsuspecting people, especially in crowded areas.
With the festive season spirit hovering around the country, criminals are on the prowl targeting unsuspecting people, especially in crowded areas.
In a quest to turn the tide, Lingelethu Community Policing Forum (CPF) and its police counterparts held an awareness drive at ePakini in Ilitha Park. They held a special Spine and Ngcwalazi roads on Friday 15 December and were joined by other community stakeholders.
They described ePakini (a renowned social spot in Khayelitsha) as one of the most notorious places.
Lingelethu CPF chair Lunga Guza said ePakini has become problematic with numerous crime incidents. He stated that most incidents were perpetrated by people from outside Ilitha Park.
Guza highlighted hijacking, domestic violence, selling of drugs and robbery as some of the common cases. “We noticed there are a high number of foreign people that are involved in these scandals. Some of the perpetrators are from Philippi and other areas. So, this is part of an awareness campaign to warn the community,” said Guza, adding the number of cases reported on weekends has tripled the number of cases reported during the week.
Guza said they have a good relationship with local businesses, however, he said certain individuals do not cooperate.
Lingelethu Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum (SCPF) chair Zandile Mbeki said they felt a need for spiritual intervention to alleviate the crime. She said nothing is impossible with God. “Our task is to work with the officers to fight crime in our societies. We believe that having this special service will make a positive impact on our people,” she stated.
Lingelethu-West Police Station spokesperson Sgt Xoliswa Nyalambisa described the initiative as helpful. She reiterated Guza’s remarks that crime was rife, especially on weekends.
“There are many cases of rape that are reported especially on weekends. Women need to be vigilant when they are coming here especially those who are using public transport because they are the most victims,” she appealed.
Nyalambisa urged all community stakeholders to stand firm in to fight against crime.
