By Buziwe Nocuze
• Site B neighbourhood watch members received boots after some were forced to patrol dangerous streets wearing flip flops at night.
• Volunteers say many patrollers have quit because they do not earn a stipend and struggle to support their families while fighting crime.
A Community Policing Forum leader in Site B, Khayelitsha, is calling on more residents to join neighbourhood watches to help fight rising crime.
Andita Shaweni said crime could drop if every street had people working together to protect their communities.
“I believe that if each street can have people join neighbourhood watches the crime will decrease. Yes, we understand that there’s no money. We are doing this to fight crime and for our communities to be safe,” said Shaweni.
Shaweni said many volunteers put their lives at risk every day while patrolling dangerous areas.
Some members were even seen patrolling in flip flops before a local organisation donated boots to them.
“We are grateful to the organisation that donated boots to our dedicated members. Even when they didn’t have boots, they went out to protect the communities,” said Shaweni.
Shaweni said the group faces many challenges, including the lack of financial support.
“When we started the neighbourhood watch we were more than 350, but the number keeps decreasing. Especially men are leaving because they can’t keep going out every morning and come back home empty handed when they are the head of the house,” said Shaweni.
The group is now asking for warm clothes and jackets as winter approaches.
Shaweni said extortion and shootings are some of the biggest problems in the area.
“Crime in our areas is too high, especially extortion where kids get caught in the middle when criminals are fighting and shooting each other,” said Shaweni.
Shaweni also called for the return of street committees, saying they could help communities fight crime.
Mandisa Mafilika, who is 69 years old, has been part of the neighbourhood watch since 2013.
“The reason I joined neighbourhood watch is crime. People were robbed when going to work and even kids going to school were not safe,” said Mafilika.
She said volunteers escort residents to work and school and spend hours patrolling crime hotspots.
Mafilika said things have become more dangerous because criminals now carry guns.
“We go out every day because we know that if we stop now we will be trapped in our own houses,” said Mafilika.
“We hope that one day we will get a stipend, but for now we are doing this for free so our communities can be safe.”
Image Caption: Site B neighbourhood watch members in Khayelitsha received boots after they were seen patrolling in flip flops.
Picture: Supplied
