'We are sick and tired of crime, we are no longer free': Diepsloot councillor

23 January 2020 - 17:50 By Nomahlubi Jordaan
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Diepsloot residents will protest until they get the attention of police minister Bheki Cele, says a local councillor.
Diepsloot residents will protest until they get the attention of police minister Bheki Cele, says a local councillor.
Image: Twitter/SA Gov News

An ANC councillor said on Thursday that Diepsloot residents would keep protesting against crime until they got the attention of police minister Bheki Cele.

Abraham Mabuke told TimesLIVE that the community was living in fear after the deaths of up to 10 residents, including a police officer, at the hands of criminals in the past three months.

Two men were arrested this week in connection with the killing of a Diepsloot police officer, 54-year-old Det-Capt Oupa Matjie while he was tracing suspects wanted for attempted murder and house robbery.

Protesters blocked roads in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, with burning tyres and rocks.

Mabuke said, “The protest is all about crime. From November last year until now, we've witnessed 10 murders.”

He claimed that “undocumented foreign nationals” had been involved in the crimes.  He said residents would protest until they got the attention of police minister Bheki Cele.

“He must come and speak to us. He must not just promise. He must bring the military, home affairs officials and the TRT [tactical response team]," said Mabuke.

“We are sick and tired of crime, we are no longer free. We are scared to walk around the streets. We find ourselves in the same situation as Cape Town people who are struggling with gangsterism,” he added.

Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela said calls for a shutdown of the area bordered on inciting violence.

“This shutdown call is attributed to the murder of detective captain Oupa Matjie, who was fatally shot while in pursuit of suspects last Friday,” he said.

“The arrest of the suspect, who allegedly shot and killed Capt Matjie, came after collaboration between the community and the police. It is therefore important that the suspect's appearance before court be secured and that it should not be jeopardised in any manner so that the suspect faces the full might of the law.”


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