MITCHELLS Plain repeatedly makes it into the country's top 30 highest crime rates.
The sprawling area built across the sandy, windswept plains, was created to house victims of apartheid’s forced removals. The high crime rate is a reminder of the dire effects of how apartheid’’s social ills, segregation and economically marginalisation persist more than 30 years after the regime ended.
The police station, one of the biggest in the city, has recorded 58 attempted murders, which topped the crime statistics for the third quarter. The area also recorded 19 sexual assaults, 432 common assault and 310 contact-related crime cases.
Mitchells Plain CPF chairperson Norman Jantjies blamed the crimes on the gangsterism and drug scourge that has taken over the suburb.
“When it comes to attempted murders, most of these are gun and gang related, gangsters shooting each other and sometimes innocent people get affected. I think the precinct has always been the highest but that doesn’t mean it is accepted. But we have been there on the top in the last two or three years.
“Although crimes takes place throughout Mitchells Plain, the areas most affected were Eastridge, Tafelsig and Beacon Valley, and mostly shootings.”
He said Tafelsig was where most stabbings occur, and they were either gang-related or robberies or family members or friends fighting. This means that people don’t have skills to resolve conflict in a peaceful manner, so they resort to violence.
He explained that Mitchells Plain police station had an estimated 500 police officers. “The issue is that the area that it covers has so many people. “We need to work together, they can’t do it on their own, the community members will have to step in.”
The CPF chairperson said rehabilitation centres and counsellors were needed to help the struggling young people heal from trauma.
“They must have experience in working with drug addicts. We also need them to be affordable and we can’t send everyone to the government facilities where they will be placed on a waiting list.”
The other issue that Jantjies highlighted was the increased number of unemployment and school drop-outs. “If you drive around Mitchells Plain during school or working hours you will see a lot of people and children who should be in school,” he added.
“There have to be people in the schools who will check on the kids who are absent and find out what the problems are.”
Community leader, Michael Jacobs, said it was very clear that SAPS and the metro police have lost the war on crime. “Not only in Mitchell's Plain, but on the Cape Flats in general. The rampant gun violence, which has claimed scores of lives, including innocent children, makes a mockery of claims by law enforcement agencies, City and provincial politicians that they are winning and our communities are safe.
“Politics have come to bedevil the fight against crime and the LEAP flagship project of the province is nothing but an electioneering tool by DA politicians to call for the devolution of policing powers to this province. It has absolutely nothing to do to keep our communities safe.”
Jacobs said he has noticed the instability within community safety structures. “Politics and the quest for control of these structures have diminished their ability to make an impact in the fight against crime.
“What is needed is the proper roll out of sector policing, an increase in the number of visible policing members on the street, more detectives needed and to create a local investigative and specialised gang unit that will focus on drugs, gangs, extortion and money laundering in a holistic manner. Unfortunately the three stations Mitchell's Plain, Lentegeur and Strandfontein lack that capacity and coordination to deal with the gang, drugs and extortion threats.
“Yes, there are pockets of excellence and convictions on the prevention of organised crime matters by local detectives but it hardly makes a difference in the fight against crime. To be honest, Mitchell's Plain is more dangerous than it was 15 years ago and the situation is not likely to improve in the near future.”
For victims of crime such as Williem Thomas, the wheels of justice turn slowly. HIs son Esvom Thomas was murdered in Lentegeur in Mitchell's Plain five years ago. He said they hoped for closure of his son’s case, which was back on the court roll on October 23. “We are hoping that it finally comes to an end for the sake of all of the families.
“As for crime in the area, we are tired of being held prisoners inside our home due to the violence. “We always have to look over our shoulders.
“They (gangsters) are shooting daily in all parts of Mitchell's Plain, from Woodlands to Tafelsig.”
Weekend Argus