Night angels saved my life – motorist
A community justice group is guarding commuters ahead of the festive season
AHILLCREST motorist says township “night angels” patrolling the N3 to stop crime saved her life after her car broke down in a felony hot spot near the Pavilion in Westville recently.
Carey Moran, 50, said the concerned group of residents called the Juluka Tsotsi Justice Network, of Chesterville, had taken it upon themselves to keep the community and motorists safe around the mall and along the highway.
This was after countless criminal incidents had claimed too many lives and left one man disabled, she said.
Moran was driving home at about 7pm two weeks ago when her car stopped.
She said she knew the area was dangerous and called a breakdown service which took forever to attend to her.
All the while it was getting darker and more unsafe.
“I didn’t know whether or not to remain in the car. Eventually, as I was about to leave the car to walk to the nearest petrol station at the mall, a group of five guys wearing T-shirts came to my car.”
She said she was terrfied but the group set her mind at rest.
“They said: ‘We are Juluka Tsotsi Justice Network and we are here to keep you safe’.
“I was completely surprised. They helped me to get a breakdown vehicle and then stayed with me on the highway until 11pm. They were my angels on that night,” she said.
This week Mduduzi Mkhize, 49, who founded the network in 2007, said the initiative had grown to 420 members. He said initially uMkhumbane, which consists of Cato Manor, Sherwood and Chesterville, had been identified as crime hot spots. Most of the victims were people working at the Pavilion who had to walk late at night to Chesterville and other areas.
Mkhize said criminals also preyed on motorists at Spaghetti junction (the EB Cloete interchange). He said before their intervention, criminals had a field day committing crime in a broad daylight and the communities were afraid to approach them.
“It was a reign of terror, people were getting mugged and killed daily. I suspect the police had given up, due to the workload of unsolved murders. We realised the only people who could turn the situation around were us, the commun- ity. That is how the concept of Juluka Tsotsi came about.”
They devoted their time voluntarily, monitoring the area day and night, under difficult circumstances.
Out of his own pocket, he had a T-shirt printed as a form of identification.
“Our commitment yielded positive results; at least we tried to reduce crime by numbers, although we lacked support. We require resources such as transport, two-way radios and reflective jackets to be able to communicate and react promptly,” Mkhize said.
To show her appreciation, Moran has pledged to donate soccer jerseys, 10 reflective jackets and raincoats to the network and hopes to build a long-term relationship with them through community out- reach programmes.
Mkhize said ambulances, firefighters and other state vehicles were targeted by criminals especially in Chesterville.
On the highway, motorists were hijacked even inside the Pavilion premises.
He recounted numerous shocking incidents that had compelled them to act against crime. Mkhize said they would be out “in their numbers” monitoring crime during the festive season.
One victim, Khulekani Mthembu, 34, from Chesterville said he had been walking home after his shift at a Pavilion restaurant when he was attacked.
He now has an artificial arm after he was stabbed. He said it had been the hardest time of his life and he had wanted to leave his community.
His basketball teammates raised funds for him to get an artificial arm.
“I thought I was going to die, they (criminals) took everything I had and tossed me into the bush after I was stabbed. They left me for dead; but I survived. I’m glad to be a part of the Juluka Tsotsi to ensure no one goes through the pain I felt,” he said.
Although Mthembu managed to get back to his job after recovery, he can no longer enjoy his hobby, basketball.
Ward councillor Sifiso Mngadi, also a member, said the network had had a huge impact in reducing crime. The main issue was drugs, he said.
“We work hand in hand with the police and, through positive results, the network has attracted more members, even from other townships in Durban,” he said.
They were patrolling all crime hot spots in Westville, especially intersections where traffic lights were not working.
Police spokesman Captain Nqobile Gwala said the Cato Manor police were working closely with the Juluka Tsotsi team and other role players and there was a good working relationship with the team
“There have been no reports of vigilantism since the team started working with the police because they understand that they must not take the law into their own hands,” she said. She added that crime had decreased in some of the hot spots and all those involved were committed to getting criminals behind bars.