Members of Imizamo Yethu anti-gang patrols accused of beating residents

IN A CRACKDOWN on crime in Hout Bay last night several police, private security and volunteers patrolled Imizamo Yethu, where vigilant mobs have apparently been terrorising residents. It was meant to be the first of many joint operations in the area following allegations made earlier this week that vigilante mobs were breaking away from the nightly Imizamo Yethu patrols and terrorising residents, in one case beating youngsters who were not inside their homes. A teen resident this week told Weekend Argus how a group of men with sjamboks stormed a friend’s home a week ago, hitting two of her sisters who were visiting.

Earlier this month more than a thousand men armed with sjamboks, sticks and knobkierries started patrolling Imizamo Yethu each night to try to curb crime after intense fighting between two rival gangs resulted in about five murders. Two suspected gangsters had also been killed.

About two weeks ago the gangs, consisting mainly of youngsters, agreed to stop fighting and surrendered their weapons. But the nightly patrols continued.

On Wednesday a meeting was held in Imizamo Yethu to discuss residents’ allegations that they were being beaten by patrol members.

Community leader Man-oMan Mazele said it was decided meetings about the patrols would be held weekly to deal with any problems that surfaced.

Allegations of residents being assaulted had been discussed, but incidents had not been confirmed.

“Issues of drunk people and swearing at patrollers were raised. Also the shebeens that are refusing to close on time,” Mazele said.

But this week Imizamo Yethu resident Natasha Dlilanga, 19, accused some patrol members of being drunk and told Weekend Argus that her two sisters had been assaulted by a group of them.

She said her younger sister, 16, had initially been at a friend’s house in a main street in Imizamo Yethu last Friday night.

Dlilanga and her elder sister Agnes, 23, had then gone to the same friend’s house. She said while some people in the house were having drinks, it was a quiet and relaxed visit.

At about 10.30pm a group of about men armed mainly with sjamboks banged on the door and came inside.

“They told everyone to leave and as my sister was leaving they were whipping her. My older sister was also hit on the thigh,” Dlilanga said.

“What I don’t understand is that we were not on the streets. We were at a house without disturbing anyone with music or anything like that and we aren’t criminals. I don’t get why they had to hit ( my younger sister). I mean she’s no threat and she wasn’t refusing to leave.”

Dlilanga said they had not reported what had happened to police because the group of men had told them that they were implementing laws.

She said despite what had happened, she would go out at night. “We’ll carry on going out to friends even though I am scared. But I can’t restrict my life because of them. Their main purpose was to fight off gangsters and crime. What have we got to do with that?”

This week police spokeswoman Constable Noloyiso Rwexana said officers were aware of the patrols.

“Hout Bay police can confirm that patrolling by the community in Imizamo Yethu continues on a regular basis with the assistance of police.”

Rwexana said police held regular meetings with patrollers. No criminal cases involving patrollers assaulting residents had been reported. She advised anyone with information to contact police.