Crime decrease claims are disputed

Khayelitsha still a place of darkness and fear, say residents

KHAYELITSHA residents have scoffed at suggestions that crime in their township has come down since the recommendations of the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry were implemented.

Khayelitsha Development Forum chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said that if there really was a reduction in crime, they could not agree that it was because of the recommendations.

“Residents still remain fearful of crime, and way more needs to be done to make the area safer. One of the facilitators of crime is darkness, as the area does not have streetlights.

“We live in the dark. If they want to speak about the recommendations, let it be holistic. Informal settlements still don’t have roads and house numbering.”

Tyhido said the number of vigilante killings might have dropped, but this was not because of the recommendations but through the efforts and unity of the local residents.

“There was never a breakdown in relations with the police and we still have serious problems of child and woman murders in our community.

“The provincial, city and other stakeholders must work together and equip us with resources such as bicycles for patrols.”

The commission was established by Premier Helen Zille in 2012 following a spike in mob justice attacks and concerns raised about police shortages by community organisations.

Zille’s spokesperson, Michael Mpofu, said they were monitoring crime in the area closely. “A task team was formed two years later to implement more than 20 recommendations. Some of them included a review of detective services, adequate policing and guidelines for police visibility in informal settlements.

“The commission was also established to investigate the alleged breakdown in trust between the SAPS and the community . It was chaired by Justice Kate O’Regan and advocate Vusi Pikoli. The final report and recommendations were handed down in August 2014,” Mpofu said.

Progress had been made in several areas, including the steady reduction of vigilante killings, and a neighbourhood watch strategy that ensured the accreditation and training of neighbourhood watch groups to patrol high-risk areas.

“The appointment of additional detective resources in Khayelitsha has also led to a significant reduction in case docket backlogs from 3 400 cases in 2014 to 1 601 in June last year.

“At the same time, the number of case dockets per detective has been reduced to 65, compared with 100 at the time of the commission.”

The Western Cape government remained committed to working with the SAPS and the Khayelitsha community to bring about greater safety in the area.

ONE OF THE FACILITATORS OF CRIME IS DARKNESS. THE AREA DOES NOT HAVE STREETLIGHTS.