The community of Harding on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast says they rely on private security companies to keep them safe.
They met with Police Minister Bheki Cele and provincial police leadership during a ministerial crime imbizo.
Residents say are appealing to government to intervene.
Increasingly violent crimes in KZN need special attention: Cele
In June, Silindile Sincuba’s husband and two children were killed during a shootout at KwaLangqangqa in Harding. Recalling the incident, she says she is still traumatised particularly because there have been no arrests to date.
“At the hospital, we heard a gunshot, they shot my two children aged between 6 years and 16 years. My husband together with my two children died on the scene. Other four children survived, and they were in a coma for four weeks in the hospital,” says Sincuba.
Similarly, Thandi Mbuthuma is also looking for closure following the death of her son Gqamu.
“The killers are known but because they work with police or friends of police, they can’t be arrested. I don’t hide anything because my son has already died. After they have killed my son, I phoned the killers because I know them. The solution is to bring a dog unit and change the police.”
Police Minister Bheki Cele says the granting of bail to the rapists and killers is a concern. In response to the community’s concerns, Cele confirmed that a specialised team of detectives would be dispatched to the area.
“We will talk to the provincial commissioner so that we have a specialised detectives teams that will come here to deal with all those outstanding cases. We will also send the secretariat to be based at the station to find out why people are complaining about the station. These things need to happen in the shortest and possible time.”
Thembekile Ngwazi and Irene Msiza are appealing for committed attention to crimes committed against women and children.
“People are always killed, and they are many people that have been killed without any apparent reasons. We don’t know who will be killed tomorrow.”
“We feel not safe at all here and this is the first time to see women being killed without any apparent reason. Women are not protected at all.”
Siyanda Biyela criticised those within the community who urge victims to withdraw charges against the perpetrators.
“These rape cases are withdrawn when it comes to SAPS due to the fact that people will approach the family of the victim and try to give them a car or a goat. We don’t agree with that and we say all cases must be reported to the SAPS, whether it’s petty crimes or not. The SAPS must make sure that all such cases are reported.”
