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With crime seemingly on the rise in Ilitha Park, various stakeholders in the community picketed along Spine Road on Friday 3 June in an attempt to quell the situation.
The picket was led by the Lingelethu West Police Station and featured a prayer. According to police, crime is on an upward trajectory in the area, with carjackings and robberies leading the pack.
The station’s spokesperson Sgt Xoliswa Nyalambisa said it is time for the community to reclaim their streets. She added that such a campaign had the effect of uniting all legitimate structures in the community.
“We invited almost all the community structures, including the churches and traditional leaders, to join,” she said.
Nyalambisa said the aim is to build a “formidable team” to fight against crime in the area. She highlighted car hijackings, house break-ins, robberies and rape as just some of the worrying crimes occurring in the area.
Lingelethu West CPF chair Lunga Guza urged the community to work closely with the police. He stressed crime fighting is everyone’s responsibility.
“There is a tendency among people in the community to undermine the neighbourhood watch and CPF members. Yet, when facing problems at the police station they turn to us, wanting us to intervene,” he said. “People must understand the neighborhood watch is a well-recognised structure that is working with the police to keep the peace in the community.”
Guza echoed Nyalambisa’s sentiments that elevated levels of crime in the area are leading people to manage and contain the situation by any reasonable means possible.
Rev Reuben Nyobole highlighted the lack of respect in society as being a contributor to crime. “Since 1994 our country has changed,” he said. “People have rights for everything, but they forget that rights go with responsibility. Respect starts at home. People no longer respect one another.” Nyobole added that “animals behave much better” than human beings. He urged that people learn tolerance for one another.
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