- Thugs kick down doors at night and steal phones, clothes and food from families in their shacks.
- Criminals threatened families trying to leave, asking who they would rob if residents moved away from the area.
Families in Xakabantu informal settlement in Cape Town are running away from their homes because of violent crime.
Thugs kick down their doors at night. They get inside and steal phones, clothes and food.
One woman left last month after she was raped in her shack. The thugs broke in, stole her phone and attacked her.
“She left the area the next day,” said a neighbour who asked not to be named.
When families tried to leave with their belongings, the thugs stopped them. The criminals asked who they would rob if everyone moved away.
“Thugs are ruling the area. We are no longer safe because they come during the day and night,” said a resident.
“We were shocked when thugs forced us to return so that they could continue robbing us.”
The criminals carry weapons like scissors, knives and guns.
Even people using cars to move their things faced problems from the thugs.
“We have burglar bars on our homes, but they are useless. The thugs know how to open them before kicking our doors,” said the resident.
“Some are kicking the doors. Some are damaging our shacks using big stones.”
Mike Khumalo chairs the Vrygrond Community Development Forum. He says the crime is getting worse each day.
“This is the life we are living in Vrygrond. It is bad and getting worse,” said Khumalo.
He called the police when residents came to report the thugs. Officers arrived quickly to help.
Pictured above: Xakabantu informal settlement residents in Vrygrond, Capricorn Cape Town, are fleeing their homes due to the high crime rate.
Image source: Buziwe Nocuze
