President Cyril Ramaphosa and four ministers are expected to visit Diepsloot following a wave of crime that has resulted in the flare-up of protests by the community.
Yesterday members of the Diepsloot Community Forum and church leaders from the township in the north of Joburg, went to the Union Buildings in Tshwane to seek the intervention of the highest office in the land.
The deputy director-general in the Presidency, Matsietsi Mekoa, received the delegation and discussions about Ramaphosa’s visit to Diepsloot were held.
Loyiso Toyiya, the chairperson of the forum, told Sowetan that before Ramaphosa’s visit at least four ministers will also come to address the community.
Among the expected ministers will be police minister Bheki Cele, home affairs minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola. Toyiya said they expected the government to give them timeframes of the visits by Monday next week, failing which there will be another protest.
“It is up to them [government officials] to fulfill their promises. If they don’t get back to us by Monday, we will do what as the community of Diepsloot do best,” said Toyiya.
Diepsloot was hit by a wave of protest earlier this week following the death of former community policing forum leader John Makola, who died on Sunday after being shot while attending to a robbery of a shop on Monday last week.
His death triggered the protest by the community who burnt tyres and blocked roads in Diepsloot and also blockaded the N14 highway.
Toyiya said the protest had been suspended while they waited to hear from the office of the presidency about the availability of the ministers and Ramaphosa.
“ As community leaders we will also table grievances to each and every specific department,” said Toyiya. “What we are seeking now are permanent solutions but at the moment people are dying. We need police to be deployed in Diepsloot now.”
Reverend Dithuge Thokwane of the Methodist Church in Diepsloot, who was part of the delegation, said the meeting was fruitful and that he hoped that killings in the township would subside after the government’s intervention.
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