Angry Diepsloot residents threaten to shut down police station until Ramaphosa addresses them

This follows the killing of a pastor during a late-night prayer service last week Friday. 

It’s alleged that 40-year-old Vincent Sikhakhane was shot multiple times during a robbery at his church, despite his pleas for the criminals to spare his life. 

Residents claim interventions by police Minister Bheki Cele in April, which saw the delivery of 16 new police vehicles and the deployment of TRT officers, among others, have failed to yield any results. 

At the time, Cele held several meetings with community leaders after Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi was assaulted and then set alight, allegedly by criminals who had demanded that he proof that he is in the country legally. 

Nyathi’s death followed days of unrest in the community with residents claiming at least six people had been killed in one weekend as thugs continued to terrorise them in their homes. 

 A resident who only goes by the name Nyiko says claims residents don’t work together with police are false. He accuses local officers of failing to follow up on reports of crime. 

“I can give you an example with myself. One day [I had gone to one of the sections here in Diepsloot and I found people killing someone. I left but when I returned, I found that person was dead, and the culprits were standing on the side. The police say everyone with information must come to the station to report, which I did, and I even gave them my number. There’s not even one who has called me to ask what happened. It’s been two years now,” he said. 

The man says he carries a lot of guilt knowing that he witnessed a crime, and nothing was done to get apprehend the perpetrators. He also says he lives in fear because he sees the killers in his community. 

He says they don’t want to meet with any of the MECs or ministers, because they want the president to hear from himself what horrific incidents they are subjected to daily. 

“People are being killed every week. Ask police how many dead bodies they pick up here in Diepsloot? We aren’t leaving this police station; we want them to close it down until Ramaphosa comes here so he can address our problems. If we don’t do this, they are going to keep on saying he will be here in 14 days.” 

Meanwhile, a woman, who gave her first name Sinenhlanhla, says they only ever see the police when they have come to extort money from known criminals and illegal immigrants. She says with the high crime rate, women feel most vulnerable. 

“You find that women get raped, and our younger sisters are murdered and dumped in the veld,” she says.  

She adds that she doesn’t believe that the violent crimes in Diepsloot are being committed only by foreign nationals, as some among them have suggested, but that even South Africans were part of the lawlessness. 

While the earlier violence by protesting residents died down by the evening, police maintained a high presence. 

The crowd gathered outside the police station where community leaders met with the station commander over their demands. 

ALSO READ: