Police minister Bheki Cele says lack of electricity in Finetown, south of Joburg excerbates crime in the area.
Cele, who visited the area yesterday where seven people were shot dead on Saturday night. He told residents that the crime would not have happened had there been lighting in the area.
“If the lights were on, I am certain that the incident that took place here wouldn’t have happened. I am told that this place gets so dark that you can’t see the person you are walking with, so that needs to be fixed.
“Your new premier Panyaza [Lesufi] is trying, he said he'd try and find a way for Eskom to have some places be with electricity,” he said.
A group of robbers opened fire on street vendors during a robbery on the corner of Beatrice and Phillips streets. Four people were injured in the shooting.
During Cele’s visit, members of the community complained about rampant crime in the area, saying they often hear gunshots without any reaction from the Ennerdale police, who they accused of reacting hours after the Saturday shooting.
“When you call to report a crime, sometimes they [police] don’t even come. All we are asking for is protection from our police because it is common knowledge that we do not have any police here. We are the forgotten area,” a resident complained.
“We are in so much pain minister, why does it have to take something like this to happen before it is known that we exist?”
Cele promised to deploy the special task force, known as “Amabherete”, to fight crime in the area. He also said there were other interventions under way, which could not be disclosed.
“They [Amabherete] will clean up the place. Allow them to do their job of helping us flush out criminals from this place. We are not going to tell you how and when we are going to do it, but something must be done about this place.
“I told the police that they must find the people who were responsible for the shooting. Dead or alive, they must be found,” he said.
A team of investigators comprising crime intelligence, detectives from serious and violent crime units as well as forensic investigators are said to be working around the clock to find the shooters.
Residents also complained about walking long distances to access services at the Ennerdale police station, about 5km from Finetown. They demanded a satellite police station closer to them.
Cele said: “The mobile police station will be brought on Monday.
He said that in two weeks he would call an imbizo where police and residents would discuss how to better work together to fight crime in the area.
“It is important that we speak with the community because we also believe that some of you know these criminals. Some community members choose to protect these criminals. “
sibiyan@sowetan.co.za
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