Durban - Community Policing Forum (CPF) members, church leaders and other stakeholders in Clermont, said the area was under siege due to drug turf wars which were leading to other crimes, including murder.
The residents were speaking at a meeting with Police Minister Bheki Cele and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi yesterday.
Cele said the issues would be addressed and also promised there would be 1 000 more police officers deployed to the province.
“In South Africa, we have a ratio of one policeman to 450 people. This is not something I take lightly, it’s something that is being addressed. I promise that before the end of the year we will have at least 1000 more KwaZulu-Natal police officers in our community.”
Mfaniseni Ngcobo, from a school governing body (SGB) in Clermont, said schools were drug-dealing zones.
“Our own pupils are involved in the drug business in our area. They are with the drug mafia who are responsible for the high crime in Clermont and the large amount of murders that are taking place daily in our community.”
Ngcobo added: “Due to the schools becoming drug dens, our female pupils are being attacked and raped by drug gangs. Teachers are not safe as they are also being attacked and hijacked, the situation has become so bad that some community members are not even reporting crimes.”
Sizwe Gogo, Clermont CPF chairperson, said the organisation was trying to fight crime working with law enforcement. “But we do need support from the government. We need a stipend for our dedicated CPF members who are always doing their best to prevent crime and assist law enforcement in finding those who are responsible for committing crime. Our members are risking their lives and leaving their families to do this essential work.”
A community member from Clermont, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the poor condition of the KwaDabeka police station, which is responsible for policing in Clermont, was unacceptable.
“ The police station is in a state, there are not enough resources and there are not enough police members to attend to the crime taking place.”
Cele said that community leaders needed to work with police to fight crime in Clermont.
“There is a problem of the community being tolerant when it comes to criminality. The community must work with law enforcement so that we can act on those who have committed crime.”
Cele added that the issues with KwaDabeka police station would be addressed before the end of the week.
“The national commissioner Sehlahle Fannie Masemola will before the end of the week be visiting KwaDabeka police station and from there we will develop a turnaround strategy to fight crime here in Clermont and to put an end to the drug wars taking place.”