Xavier Radio Ug News 24 7
Growing frustration over rising levels of crime in parts of Mahikeng in the North West province has led to residents forming night patrol groups.
The residents say they were forced to act after a series of crimes, which include murder, burglaries and breaking into vehicles, especially in the Mahikeng CBD.
The patrol groups operate in areas such as Majemantsho Village and nearby zones.
According to recent provincial crime statistics , Mahikeng communities reported more than 2 500 crime-related incidents between April and December last year.
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A surge in residential burglaries, copper cable theft, armed robberies, and murder has left communities reeling and they say police struggle to respond timeously. Community members decided to form crime watch groups, rather than a formal Community Policing Forum.
Armed with whistles and wearing high-visibility reflectors, the patrollers attempt to alert the community to danger and scare off criminals.
Patrol group organiser, Chuck Dee Busang elaborates, “In the form of a neighbourhood watch, we don’t invite anyone, we just have to know where you come from and then from there, we know that even when we give you materials like a whistle and a reflector, we know that we can visit you without us telling you that we are going to visit you. That is how we know each other. That is why we call it neighbourhood watch,” says Busang.
Another group leader, Mogorosi Mokgosi says it was necessary for them to take action against criminal elements in their area.
“We have no option to start this program because without the police, we can do something bigger than what we expected from them. They are not giving us a service, truly speaking, you report a case it takes two weeks. So, the community decided to work on their own to fight these criminals in our area,” says Mokgosi.
Fed up residents say the crime wave is hampering local economic growth and making them feel unsafe in their own homes.
“Murder, robbery, stealing of Eskom cable, they are stealing a lot of things and they are doing murders and they’re doing rapes. ”
“I was in my colleague’s car; I was signing forms there but not aware someone was behind the car. He was crossing the road, I went back to work. That guy came back to the car and he opened the car and took my colleague’s watch, phone and some cash money.”
Authorities have warned that unauthorised patrol groups are operating outside the law and risk facing criminal prosecution for taking the law into their own hands.
North West Department of Community Safety’s Chief Director, Mpho Rantona says, “Anything that has to do with people taking the law into their own hands is not allowed. In the department, we have a unit called crime prevention partnerships were, we partner with your neighbourhood watches, your NGOs, the CPFs, your CFs and any other group that will form and then register with the department because we must know who exactly is there trying to fight crime with the department,” says Rantona.
Residents claim the patrols are already working, with some reporting a drop in crime where the groups are active.
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www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/mahikeng-residents-begin-night-patrols-to-combat-spike-in-crime/
