Diepsloot crime-fighter John Makola left his family at home on Monday night last week after he received a frantic call from a shop owner who heard people banging on his door, shortly after locking up.
The former community policing forum (CPF) chairperson would later be shot by the robbers, who made off with R20,000 and some groceries.
Makola succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, angering the community which once again took to the streets to voice their frustrations over high levels of crime in the area.
Residents blocked main roads leading into the township yesterday in protest against the high levels of crime in the area. They used burning tyres and debris as barricades.
The shop owner, who asked not to be named, said he had just locked up on Monday night when a group of men arrived.
“I closed the shop at 8pm and was preparing myself to go to sleep when I heard people banging on my door around 8.40pm. I was scared and phoned John but they managed to come in before he arrived. John was coming from home. They beat me up so badly and took more than R20,000 and some groceries.
“When John arrived, they were still here. He parked his car outside and I heard him shouting for these guys to come out. They went out and started shooting at him. They chased him down the street and I heard five gunshots.
“John came back bleeding and collapsed by the door. I stayed with him until the ambulance came to fetch both of us,” the man said.
He said he had been working in Diepsloot for two years and that Monday was the first time he experienced crime first-hand. “I’ve heard people talking about crime but this year the crime is too much,” he said.
Makola’s family on Tuesday told Sowetan they were not ready to talk about his killing.
Several community members told Sowetan that Makola was a good man who was helpful.
“He jumped at any opportunity to assist the community with anything. He was at the forefront of fighting crime in the area,” resident Pretty Danisa said.
Diepsloot Community Forum deputy chairperson Lefa Nkala said the community was tired of crime.
“It’s our daily bread. Our people are getting shot day in and day out,” he said.
“We are on the streets of Diepsloot today [yesterday] after many attempts of talking to the office of the president [Cyril Ramaphosa], requesting the president to come to Diepsloot so that we can engage him on the crime rate that is happening in our community.
“Last week Friday, a 14-year-old was shot ... after that we did a door-to-door search for the criminals. We are organising a funeral for the former chairperson of the community policing forum [Makola] who died at the hands of criminals. He was shot in Extension 12.”
Ingonyama Street was chaotic yesterday as the community barricaded streets with burning tyres and other rubble.
Taxis and motorists were turned away and bystanders filming on their cellphones were not spared as two of them had their cellphones confiscated and tossed into the burning debris.
Police temporarily dispersed the crowd with teargas and rubber bullets before protestors regrouped at an open field in Extension 12, where they caucused to go block the N14 highway which connects Krugersdorp and Pretoria.
The highway was temporarily closed as the community took their protest there and barricaded it with burning tyres, causing traffic delays on both sides.
Danisa said: “The police are not visible. They are always in their cars instead of walking the streets. Crime happens in the corridors and in our homes.
“My neighbour was robbed last month after criminals came into her home and held her at gunpoint. As women, we live in fear as we don’t know what they will do to us when they enter our homes.”
The community also went up in arms over high crime levels in the area in April last year. Their action pompted police minister Bheki Cele to deploy more resources.
mbelet@sowetan.co.za
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