The Western Cape community of Wolseley said their home town was becoming unlivable due to rising crime.
FILE: The Western Cape community of Woolsey have said their home town is becoming unlivable due to rising crime. Image: rattanakun/123rf.com
CAPE TOWN – Residents in two cities are expressing anger at high crime rates, saying authorities and police are doing little to help them.
Angry members of the community confronted the police minister at the West Village imbizo in Krugersdorp on Saturday.
They told Minister Bheki Chela that so far the police have done little to stop criminals, especially in the West Village, where eight women were raped late last month and where the Zama-Zamas operate.
And in the Western Cape community of Wolseley, they said their home town was becoming unbearable due to rising crime in Pine Valley.
Community leaders called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene as they rejected local and provincial government.
Community members told Eyewitth News how they live in fear.
What was once a quiet town of over 4,000 residents has now grown to 15,000 residents.
Reports of shootings and sexual violence are among the main problems in Wolseley and Pine Valley informal settlements.
Local councilor Jacob Zali said it all started in 2016 during a farm workers’ strike.
“And that farm strike stopped and came to Wolseley because people were running from all over Citrusdal, Des Dorns…immigrants from Lesotho and Zimbabwe were running to Wolseley to work.”
He said he will continue to talk to authorities, but questions where that will solve the problem.
