“We have too many liquor outlets operating in our area. Most [residents] drink like there's no tomorrow. We also have a challenge of substance abuse [and while] there is assistance available ... we are failing to deal with this problem.
“The crime is very high in our area. But what I notice is that the problem is drugs, the cause of everything is drugs,” said Mphaho.
"[On Tuesday], a boy was stabbed near a spaza shop. He died on the way to hospital. So we really need assistance. But the problem we see as well is that the police station is very small for sector 1. Sometimes we have a shortage of cars. It's a very big problem.”
She illegal invaders also contributed to rising crime levels, especially in Austin View. Law enforcement have battled to successfully eradicate informal structures being erected along sections of Modderfontein road.
Ngoma provided an overview of the challenges facing police in the precinct.
Rabie Ridge is one of 12 police stations in the district struggling with crime.
Among the challenges, she highlighted inaccessible roads leading to informal settlements, lack of visibility in some areas, land invasion and an influx of undocumented foreign nationals.
She said the highest number of crimes reported in Kanana were assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, with 38 cases reported and 19 arrests made, followed by common assault, with 30 cases reported and 17 arrests made.
Five murders had been reported and four arrests made — two of these relating to mob justice attacks. These were between July and September 2023.
She said three of the five men stoned to death in January were South Africans, another was Zimbabwean and the nationality of the fifth victim had not yet been established.
None of the victims had criminal records or pending criminal cases, she revealed.
Maduna described Kanana as a hive of illegal activity, worsened by the influx of illegal foreign nationals.
He said they received reports of mob justice attacks at least once a month in Kanana and the surrounding settlements.
TimesLIVE
Crime rate in Rabie Ridge 'very high', committee told during visit
Image: Khanyisile Ngcobo
Drug abuse, mushrooming informal settlements and an influx of foreigners, most of them illegal, are among the myriad challenges facing the community of Rabie Ridge, the Gauteng community safety portfolio committee was told on Friday morning.
The committee was carrying out an oversight visit in the area after a spate of mob justice attacks and rise in crime.
In January, five people were stoned to death and one person injured, allegedly by community members of Kanana Ext 4.
Bongani Sithole and Frans Mohale were arrested in connection with the brutal attack and have since appeared in court on murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) charges.
The delegation, led by committee chairperson Dr Bandile Masuku, received a presentation from Ekurhuleni district police officials, Rabie Ridge police station commander Col Johanna Ngoma, the community policing forum (CPF) and ward 110 councillor Angie Mphaho.
CPF chairperson Emmanuel Maduna said the community was “failing to overcome the drug problem”.
Two to appear in court for alleged vigilante killing of five in Rabie Ridge
“We have too many liquor outlets operating in our area. Most [residents] drink like there's no tomorrow. We also have a challenge of substance abuse [and while] there is assistance available ... we are failing to deal with this problem.
“The crime is very high in our area. But what I notice is that the problem is drugs, the cause of everything is drugs,” said Mphaho.
"[On Tuesday], a boy was stabbed near a spaza shop. He died on the way to hospital. So we really need assistance. But the problem we see as well is that the police station is very small for sector 1. Sometimes we have a shortage of cars. It's a very big problem.”
She illegal invaders also contributed to rising crime levels, especially in Austin View. Law enforcement have battled to successfully eradicate informal structures being erected along sections of Modderfontein road.
Ngoma provided an overview of the challenges facing police in the precinct.
Rabie Ridge is one of 12 police stations in the district struggling with crime.
Among the challenges, she highlighted inaccessible roads leading to informal settlements, lack of visibility in some areas, land invasion and an influx of undocumented foreign nationals.
She said the highest number of crimes reported in Kanana were assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, with 38 cases reported and 19 arrests made, followed by common assault, with 30 cases reported and 17 arrests made.
Five murders had been reported and four arrests made — two of these relating to mob justice attacks. These were between July and September 2023.
She said three of the five men stoned to death in January were South Africans, another was Zimbabwean and the nationality of the fifth victim had not yet been established.
None of the victims had criminal records or pending criminal cases, she revealed.
Maduna described Kanana as a hive of illegal activity, worsened by the influx of illegal foreign nationals.
He said they received reports of mob justice attacks at least once a month in Kanana and the surrounding settlements.
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
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Government is failing us on undocumented migrants: Gauteng police chief Mawela
Five appear in court for alleged Diepsloot mob justice that resulted in five deaths
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