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A person holds up a sign against shielding of rapists.
As the country is coming together to mourn those who lost their lives through gender-based violence, residents of Ngquthuka eQolweni at Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape are accusing police of turning a blind eye to serious crimes like rape and murder.
They are calling on the government to take action as vulnerable women and elderly are victims.
Residents are calling on police to ensure that crime in Ngcobo is tackled.
This, as yet another female was murdered, allegedly by her partner who then fled the scene.
The community took it upon themselves to hunt the alleged perpetrator, and bring him to the police station.
A resident Thando Tunce says the police are failing them.
“We have serious criminal activities that are taking place here, and these criminal activities are made strong by the weakness of the police. From time to time in these villages, we have experience of people getting raped and killed after that. Many people – I think in this village alone, we have three victims in the recent years, and you go to other villages like Caba, Nxamagele and other areas you will find same situation, but there is no justice that is taking place,” explains Tunce.
Zamekile Ngxashu lost his granddaughter after she was also allegedly raped and killed.
“We played our part. I am the one who found the alleged perpetrator, after getting information from my other children. He told us other people he committed this crime with. We decided not to take law into our own hands and handed him over to the police. But the police are not working with us,” says Ngxashu.
Nosiviwe Nyangeni, who is a resident, says women in their community are worried that it’s just a question of time before anyone of them falls victim.
“We are not safe. A person cannot be arrested and come back after a very short time. We don’t even know if they get to the police station. These people come back and threaten us that we will follow those that are dead.”
Police in the province did not want to respond on the allegations regarding Ngcobo Police Station, saying they are still waiting for a full report on the matter.
