The local police have taken steps to ensure that xenophobia is not tolerated in the Honeydew Cluster, which consists of six police stations.
This includes Honeydew, Roodepoort and Florida Police. In a media briefing on Friday 24 April, advocate Jean Berdou on behalf of the Honeydew Community Policing Board (that is the body in charge of Community Policing Forums or CPFs) raised the concerns of the community at large with acting cluster commander Brigadier Wayne Sirkhot present.
Berdou presented the community’s case in five main concerns, stating that residents “need to make a clear statement to the world out there”.
“These are our concerns as the community at large”:
- A vast majority of the community is against any criminal activities against a person, whether it be against a South African or foreign national.
- The local Community Policing Forums (CPFs) appeal to those persons that have an issue regarding the above statement to remember their commitment to the law.
- Residents of the greater Roodepoort area harbor a deep care for their fellow citizens and any behaviour that threatens their or others’ safety is unacceptable.
- CPFs are calling upon residents to reach out to those in need after recent xenophobic attacks countrywide by donating clothing, especially children’s and infant’s clothing, non-perishable food and infant feed, blankets, toiletries and nappies to the Victim Support Unit at their nearest police station.
- The Honeydew Community Policing Board and CPFs at large stand with the national police commissioner and government in calling on all people to obey the law and treat one another with respect
- Sirkhot gave a briefing on the general stance on and response to xenophobia countrywide and in the greater Roodepoort area. He expressed his gratitude that neither the police nor residents have had to deal with any recorded xenophobia incidents in the greater Roodepoort area to date. Sirkhot applauded residents’ maturity regarding the matter to date.
“We are all foreigners of this world in the sense that we have to leave it someday,” he told the group of journalists.
“Our community includes our foreign brothers and we must not forget that.”
Sirkhot said a contingency plan has been worked out for the cluster’s response to any xenophobic attacks. Areas have been identified that could possibly hazard the Roodepoort-wide notion against xenophobia. Sirkhot is aware of chain text messages and emails as well as social media messages doing the rounds regularly warning of possible xenophobic outbreaks in informal settlements as well as Roodepoort and Florida CBD and specifically, Goldman Street.
“The Police take warning messages like these very seriously and will implement the contingency plan if it is necessary to do so; however, thus far none of these messages have been proven to be true.”
Sirkhot appeals to residents to not create or forward chain messages regarding xenophobia containing unverified information.
Residents who wish to donate clothing, food and blankets to relieve xenophobia victims’ needs can contact Captain Lydia Dikolomelo at the Florida Police Station on 079 694 6759 or Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs at the Honeydew Police Station on 082 337 1085.
