Ravele community put their foot down over crime
According to the Ravele community criminals have taken control of the village and they have had enough.
LIMPOPO – Residents at Ravele say they have had enough of the increasing crime in their village and have pledged their unreserved support of a crime-free society, saying they would root out all criminals from their midst.
Community leader, Gladwin Malema, said crime such as cable theft, house-breaking and violence at taverns had become the norm.
“We feel marginalised as the Tshilwavhusiku police are not serving the interests of the people.”
According to Malema, criminals have taken control of the village, “where they roam the streets and terrorise residents at will. We are at the mercy of these thugs, and we need to act in order to stop them in their tracks,” he said.
The community also complained about the release of serious offenders by the Justice Department.
“As a community, we sincerely hope that our anti-crime concerns will one day be answered for the safety of our people. Justice institutions know their mandates, and we put our faith in them to see to it that these barbaric criminals get sentences that equal their crimes. We are law-abiding citizens who strongly feel that government should be protecting our communities and our homes. We have established our own patrol groups which patrol the streets every night to put a stop to crime. Enough is enough!”
One of the residents, who wished to remain anonymous, said that, as a hawker, cable theft is taking a toll on her. “Cable theft affects everything that we do in my house. I am sick and cannot fetch wood in the bushes. I rely on a stove when I cook, and my daughter is studying by candlelight,” she said.
Other community members complain that the police are “ignoring” them when crimes are reported.
“If someone cuts the fence and breaks into a house in the middle of the night, it should be regarded as a crime that needs to be investigated,” one person told CV.
Another resident who fell victim to crime, said after someone had broken into her house, she followed the footprints and found a suspect, but that she was too afraid to take matters into her own hands. “We are tired of these criminal gangs who terrorise us. We are no longer safe in this community,” she said.
