Enough is enough – say residents

Residents blocked Welgedacht and Enstrada roads with rocks and burning tyres following the alleged rape of an elderly woman (age unknown) in the early hours of this morning (Monday).

The community says the perpetrators went into the woman’s shack and raped her at gunpoint.

It is believed her children or grandchildren were present during the incident.

According to residents, the woman was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

“When the woman screamed, the community came out to try and help.

“However, when the police were called, they came in three vans and when we showed them the suspects, they just fired a warning shot, saying they are afraid of these people and it’s dark, and they left,” says one angry resident.

“What are we suppose to do as these people are attacking us in our homes and there is nothing the police are doing to protect us?” says one woman.

Residents gathered to protest and the SAPS and EMPD were called in to restore calm to the area.

Angry protesters refused to back down and sang loudly in their presence, saying ‘enough is enough’.

During the protest, a crowd was seen running into the informal settlement, where a shack was set alight.

It is unclear why the shack was burnt down, but some residents say the people living there own guns.

“The levels of crime in this area are too high and we fear for our lives day and night.

“These perpetrators are attacking us even in our own homes and they don’t care as they rape women, children and men.

“If its not that, they rape the women in front of their partners while the men are forced to look at this evil act.

“When we call the police they say they are afraid of these attackers, or it’s dark and there is nothing they can do about it,” says one resident.

A granny says they are not safe and that they will end up sleeping at the police station if nothing is done to help them.

She adds that one of her neighbours has been raped more than five times, but the police are not doing anything about it.

Another resident says they don’t want the police in the area any more as they do nothing to help the community.

“The SAPS should rather send in the army or leave us to kill each other, as we are prepared to take the law into our own hands because none of us are safe here, even though the police station is just up the road.

“When we go to the station, we are always told that they don’t know what’s happening.

“But when they see ‘zama zamas’ they are not afraid to come here, so we will solve this on our own,” he says.

This is the second protest to hit the area in two weeks.

A violent protest took place recently after a family was brutally attacked leaving the mother injured, her son killed and her daughter raped.