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- Residents from Mfuleni, Cape Town took safety matters into their own hand by barricading certain street.
- The decision to barricade the streets comes after several robbery incidents in the area.
- At least six houses were robbed at gunpoint in recent weeks.
Road closures are synonymous with accidents, however, the same cannot be said about several street closures in Mfuleni.
According to residents, the plan is to curb rampant criminality. A resident, who only identified herself as Mavis said at least six houses were robbed at gunpoint at Ugwidi Street. Thugs got away with some valuable items. Some of the incidents happened during the day, something that sparked fear in the community and prompted them to barricade certain streets, including Ugaga and Umswi.
Mavis said in some instances people were robbed of their cellphones and money. “As the community, we decided to close the exit points so that whoever decides to come and rob us can be caught easily. We are of the view that the culprits work with some of the criminals in the area. There is no one who can come from another area to rob people here. We believe this is an internal matter. How do they know what is inside people’s homes?” she asked.
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Mavis stated that among others, the criminals are targeting plasma televisions, fridges and electrical stoves. She said they lost hope on police, so road closures were their last resort. “Locals who have cars know how to navigate our streets. They know where to enter. We sat down as a community and we unanimously agreed to close some of the streets,” she said.
Ward councillor Ernest Madikane reiterated Mavis’s sentiments. He said the crime rate has skyrocketed in the community and things are getting worse. “The officers know about our plight. We informed them prior to barricading the streets,” he said.
Madikane the status quo would remain until a solution was found. “The main challenge here is a police station. Criminals do as they pleased because they know there are no officers. We need our own police station as Mfuleni. Now, we have a satellite police station and the main station is in Blue Downs. It is too far from us. Even at the satellite station that we have has insufficient resources to cater for the whole community,” said Madikane.
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Mfuleni Police Station spokesperson W/O November Filander said they acknowledge the impact of crime in the area. He said they are intensifying their efforts through increased patrols in hotspot areas. “We are facing resource limitations but collaborating with neighbourhood watches and law enforcement agencies to address the challenges. Reporting crimes promptly with detailed information helps focus our efforts effectively,” said Filander.
He stated that the resident’s decision to close streets was born out of frustration and doesn’t reflect police failure. “Our commitment to maintaining law and order remains strong. We discourage street closures due to unintended consequences and hindrances to emergency services. Beyond robberies, Mfuleni officers grapple with challenges due to the growing population and straining resources. Urgent action is needed and we encourage community engagement, participation in neighbourhood watches and sharing information,” he appealed.
