Crime awareness taken to streets

In an effort to fight crime, Langa residents together with police officers launched a crime awareness campaign to educate the community about the consequences of committing crime and the dangers of using drugs.

They targeted places where there was a high volume of people, like the taxi rank.

Captain Nondumiso Paul, Langa police communications officer, described the campaign as one of many initiatives to fight crime.

“We met with community leaders, the neighbourhood watch, and community policing forum to strategized how to fight crime in the area. We noticed that there is an increase in acts of robbery, rape, domestic violence and murder and that in most cases, these incidents happen when people are under the influence of alcohol,” said Paul.

She said they visited some of the taverns and illegal shebeens and ordered them to stop operating after hours and without licences.

“We decided to intervene and claim back our streets and we also distributed different pamphlets that address the challenges that the community is facing,” said Paul.

She urged community members to attend imbizos when the police call them.

Nqabakazi Thembani was one of the residents who were part of the campaign.

She described crime and drug abuse as escalating in the area.

“There is high rate of alcohol and drug abuse.

“We are not free anymore because of our children. And our children are involved in gangsterism,” said Thembani.