RESIDENTS of Monakato outside Rustenburg, North West, have had enough of crime.
They said the rate was high and the police were not doing anything. And, the high rate of hijacking, house robberies and theft were among some of their concerns.
According to residents, police came at around 2am on Thursday, 27 July, to make arrests for a murder that had happened last week.
This after men, believed to be suspects of theft, were beaten up by the community leaving one killed.
Resident Loyde Mokonyana said: “The station is useless. We have tried previously to get provincial intervention. We were promised that our concerns will be attended to, but nothing has changed.”
Another resident Mapula Ramela said the police came aggressively and broke into their home to arrest two of her children.
“We are still traumatised by what happened. I am still confused as to why my children were arrested because they were fighting instead of speaking to us.”
On Thursday, angry community members took to the streets to demand intervention. They blocked the entrance leading to Monakato and the R510 road was affected.
Community Police Forum chairman Christopher Rakuba said Phokeng Police Station was of no use to them.
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“For many years now we have been complaining of poor service. Registered cases are never solved. Police fail to report to crime scenes when called. They only come when community members decide to fight crime on their own.”
Ward Councillor Happy Serongwane said the police were called once stolen goods were found by residents, but never came.
“I have engaged with the community and called for calm,” said Serongwane, adding that they needed to work together to came up with proper solutions to fight crime.
Police spokeswoman Captain Aafje Botma confirmed that cases of murder, attempted murder and kidnapping were opened following an incident where three men were allegedly taken from home and assaulted by a group of people.
Botma said the group had accused the victims of housebreakings in the area, and one of them died in hospital.
“Five people were taken in for questioning.”