A group of four women from the settlement, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the trouble started a year ago when a large group of men relocated to the settlement. The women suspect the men came from Lesotho and do not have legal papers to be in South Africa. Of the four women two have narrowly escaped rape. One was assaulted and intimidated by a man in front of her 19-year-old daughter and two-year-old granddaughter, and another had her shack almost burnt to the ground when a man doused it in petrol and set it on fire.
The woman whose shack was set alight said the fire had coincidentally happened the night after she met with the community’s disciplinary committee about the violence in the settlement. The woman said she believes the problem is chiefly due to an illegal alcohol business operating within the settlement. “We are a civilised community from Monday to Friday but every Friday night trouble starts and lasts until Sunday night,” the woman said. “These men call themselves gangsters in Sesotho.” According to the women, three out of four people currently living in the settlement are part of the “problem group”. The women said they contacted the Fourways Review because they couldn’t take the violence anymore. “Something has to be done,” one of the women said. “We are scared to sleep at night because we don’t know what’s going to happen next.” The women said one of their options is to go to Diepsloot and rally a mob to deal with the “trouble-makers.” “We don’t want to do this,” one of the women said. “We want to co-operate with the police and the law.”
Captain Kym Cloete, head of communications for the Sandton police, said the police conducted an operation in Clay Oven at the beginning of September in which seven illegal immigrants were arrested as well as one suspect who was allegedly running an illegal shebeen. Cloete said Sandton police have also arrested a man who was involved in the murder of a resident of the settlement on 27 July. Cloete urged the women of Clay Oven to supply their sector commander, Constable Lungi Mbatha, with any information they may have about illegal activities taking place in the settlement.
Details: 011 722 4200
