Protesting Diepsloot residents demand Ramaphosa intervention

Pretoria - Disgruntled Diepsloot residents who have been protesting over crime in the area, said they want President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit the community and address their grievances.

Residents have been holding protesting since Monday. They have stated that they have lost faith in Police Minister Bheki Cele because he has failed to provide long-term solutions to resolving the alarming crime rate in the area.

Meanwhile, Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela went to the township on Tuesday and met with multiple community representatives.

The meeting focused on the illegal occupation of shacks at Adelaide Tambo that were left vacant after the occupants moved to RDP houses in Riverside.

According to the local community police forum, the shacks are a haven for illegal immigrants and criminals.

Police agreed to work with community leaders to come up with long-lasting solutions to combat the challenges faced in the area.

Over the last few days, protests in Dieplsoot have turned violent as residents have vowed to wage war against high levels of crime in the area.

In images that have gone viral, residents barricade roads with burning tyres and set shacks alight. These shacks belong to criminals and drug lords.

Stalls belonging to some undocumented migrant vendors had to be closed down, with some being attacked by angry community members.

Meanwhile, in Marlboro, Eskom had already begun removing illegal connections.

According to the utility, this was part of its initiative to "safeguard electricity infrastructure against overloading."

It said it was also doing this to prevent supply interruptions as well as injuries or fatalities due to illegal connections.

As a result, Eskom technicians have been targeted, prompting the utility to halt its operations in the area.

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Tue, 20 Jun 2023 19:25:38 GMTBrenda Masilela

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