An Eastern Cape community of Mtontsasa in Flagstaff has raised the alarm over policing failures, alleging that officers close the gates of the local police station at night.
Many residents have complained about having to stand outside and give statements to an officer through the gates. They also complained about limited police vans.
A woman who was raped during a home invasion in which two people were also killed and two other women raped said when she fled to Mtontsasa police station for help after her ordeal, an officer told her to go back home and wait for a police van. The were no vans at the station at the time of her arrival.
“I shouted for an officer to open. Those three minutes I waited felt like hours. I was so scared, I kept on looking around.
“I thank God the criminals were not following me, otherwise they would have caught me while standing at that gate,” said Babalwa (not her real name).
Asked why the police station’s gates are closed at night, Eastern Cape police spokesperson Welile Matyolo said it was part of a “contingency plan” for small police stations to increase security.
He denied that there was an issue with insufficient police vehicles in Mtontsasa unless one of the vehicles is being repaired.
Earlier this month, the community was rocked by the brutal murders and attacks on a local pensioner and her family.
Matyolo confirmed that eight people had broken into a homestead and shot a 65-year-old woman and her grandson, killing them both.
The woman’s two granddaughters were raped and another grandson, who was also at home with his girlfriend, was stabbed. The girlfriend was also raped during the home invasion.
Matyolo told GroundUp that the suspects kidnapped one of the granddaughters and drove off with the family’s vehicle. She was later found in a nearby village.
He said that one of the eight suspects was arrested on Tuesday and charged with house robbery, assault, rape and the double murder. The investigation is continuing.
Speaking to GroundUp, Babalwa became emotional as she recalled the attack.
“I thought they were going to kill us all,” she said. “I’m not coping. I get nightmares. I’m scared to sleep. My life is not the same but I’m trying to be strong.”
What made matters worse, she said, was that when she ran to the Mtontsasa police station for help after the incident, she found the gates were locked.
After she informed the officer what had happened, Babalwa said the officer told her to return to the house and wait for a police van because there were no vans available to drive with them to the scene. When the police officers eventually arrived at the house, they instead accused one of the sons and took him in for questioning. He was released the following morning.
The family say they are frustrated and are demanding answers from the police.
Ward committee member Mabhala Ngxono said, “Crime is too much in these villages. Women are being raped, and arrests take forever. We have taverns that open 24 hours and seven days a week, but nothing happens.”
“The sad reality is that once street patrollers act and take the law into their own hands, police are quick to respond by targeting community leaders.”
Community leader Sinethemba Hlomendlini said he met with the police management in Mtontsasa in May. “We raised a lot of concerns about the lack of services and visible policing. The police assured us that they will do better. Maybe their better means locking themselves up at night at the time when most crimes are happening,” he said. – GroundUp
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