Police, residents agree to work together

A HOLISTIC approach to combating crime has been adopted by community organisations in Strandfontein following the murders of four residents recently.

Various community organisations, including the Strandfontein Community Policing Forum (CPF) and the Strandfontein Social and Economic Development Forum (SSEDF), met with police and the provincial government on Saturday to discuss crime in the area.

The roleplayers agreed to set up a task team to tackle crime in the area.

This comes after the murders of Lyle Eyden last weekend, Brandon Thomas a week ago, and Sedick Isaacs and Chad Baron just over two months ago.

Gangsterism and drug abuse have been cited as reasons for a spike in violent crime in Strandfontein.

CPF chairperson Sandy Schuter said the CPF met with the Western Cape Department of Community Safety, metro police and SAPS last week to discuss a joint operation to take back the streets of Strandfontein.

“After being called to the meeting by SSEDF, it was disheartening to hear that residents feel that nothing is being done.

“I am a witness and I’m physically at every raid and every scene.

“I see what challenges police face daily and also the importance of community co-operation,” she said.

Schuter said she had recently accompanied Community Safety MEC Dan Plato and CPF cluster chairperson Hanif Loonat on a march through the area where drug merchants were confronted and given ultimatums to shut down.

“The houses I took them to are houses which have been a problem for a long time. After constant raids together with SAPS and safety structures at 20 Kabeljoe Street, we shut the drug den down.

“We also visited 15 Caravelle Street and four other houses. Our aim is to shut them down one by one.

“We just hope that the justice system steps up in Mitchells Plain, where the sentencing is poor, hence the reason for the same suspects walking our streets 48 hours later,” said Shuter.

SSEDF chairperson Mandy van Willingh said the forum planned to close down all the drug houses and merchants in the area.

“We are glad we have all the roleplayers on board.

“We also need more facilities to keep the youth off the streets,” she said. carlo.petersen@inl.co.za

@carlo_petersen