TWO Durban communities, hard hit by crime, with dead bodies piling at their doorstops, have called for urgent police intervention, and also suggested that members of the SA National Defence Force be deployed, such was their desperation.
Residents in the crime-plagued neighbourhoods of Chatsworth and Inanda urged law enforcement heads to ramp up efforts to combat the ever-growing waves of violence impacting their respective areas.
With dead bodies continuing to pile up in these residential areas, just over 40 kilometres apart, living with fear and frustration has become a way of life for some in these communities, as they are mindful that police are not able to spread themselves far and wide enough as they grapple with “limited resources” and other challenges,
Since the beginning of the year, six corpses have been found dumped in the vicinity of the Silverglen Nature Reserve, with the most recent discovery being made last Saturday.
The grim finds has spurred local residents into action and set to meet next Thursday, to discuss ways to deal with crime surge in their neighbourhood.
Ricky Naicker, a concerned Silverglen resident, emphasised the urgency of the situation. “We can’t sit by idly while bodies are found near our homes. We’ve called a meeting with other residents, and we’re inviting the local police to join us so we can take action,” Naicker told the Daily News.
He encouraged all residents to attend and participate in the discussion about restoring safety in their community, and the meeting details were expected to be shared via local WhatsApp groups and street posters.
The Silverglen Nature Reserve was once a peaceful haven but has now become a crime hotspot. Naicker warned, “If the government doesn’t step in, more bodies will continue to be dumped here. We need immediate intervention.”
Tony Govender, the DA ward councillor, has echoed these concerns, calling for stronger action from crime-fighting agencies. “The government must step in to end this scourge and restore the reserve to its former glory,” he urged.
“If we work together with the police, we can put an end to this crisis.”
The situation was also dire in Inanda.
Last week, seven people were murdered in the space of three days, prompting locals to gather at Amaoti sports ground to demand action yesterday.
Armed with pangas and knobkerries, residents called for police to take a stronger stance against the criminals terrorising their community. Some have even suggested the deployment of the SANDF to restore peace.
Sbu Masinga, a community leader, expressed the growing frustration of residents: “We are fed up. People are dying, and we live in constant fear. If police cannot control criminals, we need the SANDF to step in.”
In a recent meeting with business leaders, provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi admitted that police were operating with “limited resources” and urged businesses to offer support. “That is why we are reaching out to you as business people to say, please support where you can because we cannot cover everything on our own,” said Mkhwanazi.
He cited the high unemployment rate as the trigger for crime in Inanda township.
As fear takes root in Inanda and Chatsworth, the call for swift and decisive action from authorities has never been more urgent. Residents pleaded with the police to put tighter measures in place to rid their communities of the surging crime.
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