Diepsloot residents call for committed police service, denounce bribery

The community of Diepsloot is gathered outside the Local Police station calling for a committed police service, crying over a corrupt SAPS and rampant crime in the area.

This is the second day of community protests in the area after a number of reported murders that have gone unattended to by the cops, according to the community.

Residents took to the streets to voice their concerns over the high crime rate in the area. Several roads have been blocked off to traffic with burning tyres and rocks.

One community member says they are tired of Zimbabweans who are doing crime in Diepsloot. When asked how does he know that these killers are Zimbabwean, he answered, “because they don’t have ID documents and no fingerprints can be traced because of these issues.”

Another community member says they are not safe because the police here are bribed by criminals and cases go unsolved.

“In Diepsloot we have a problem of crime. We get raped and people do not get arrested. We do not know where our cases end up at this police station. We feel like they can change the station Commander.”

A member of the police who is here to maintain law and order tells me that the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele and Gauteng MEC for Community Safety are both in a meeting inside the Diepsloot Police Station to hear what the issues are.

[HAPPENING NOW] Police Minister, @David_Makhura & @SAPoliceService top brass are at this hour at the #Diepsloot police station locked in a meeting by the Provincial SAPS management who are taking them through the interventions to address residents crime concerns. pic.twitter.com/iDaeGyc6MM

— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) April 6, 2022

A number of people, SABC News spoke to say they have no affiliation with the vigilante group Dudula, arguing that they are community members concerned about crime in the area.

Diepsloot Picture Gallery | Hundreds of residents took to the streets to protest against increased crime in the area: