Kwazakhele protestors want police to act
HUNDREDS of residents from Kwazakhele township in Port Elizabeth marched yesterday to urge police to be tougher on rampant crime in the area.
About 200 people from Ward 22 marched from the Daku taxi rank to the Kwazakhele police station in Mbilini street to submit their petition.
The march was led by members of the ANC Nancy Ngono branch in Ward 22.
Branch chairman Phumzile Tshuni said the march was sparked by the rape and killing of ANC volunteer Nosisa Pikoko. “This incident happened two weeks ago on Saturday and she was found on Sunday in Ngcangca Street naked and tied up.
“We gathered the community together so we can go to the police to submit a petition detailing our grievances.
“The crime rate in this community is very high – people are mugged and robbed of their cellphones and criminals even break into houses almost every week.
“Our streets are dangerous and the police are failing to provide safety and security,” Tshuni said.
One of the residents, Mandisa Mhlali, 39, said eight people had died in the township in 10 months.
“We are living in fear every day and we demand to be protected by the police. People we know are robbed and killed in front of us and the criminals are still roaming the streets.
“We don’t even trust our neighbours. We want this to come to an end or we will take matters into our own hands,” she said.
Captain Anton Mels of the Kwazakhele police station received the petition.
“I will hand the petition to the station commander who will sit with the cluster commander and discuss the proceedings at the Cluster Crime Combating Forum meeting ,” he said after the march.