By Buziwe Nocuze
Langa community members have vowed to support the two Langa Safety Patrol (LSP) members who were arrested on charges of murder.
“Patrol”, as LSP is commonly known, is a neighbourhood watch that guards this Cape Flats township, often on bicycles.
The two LSP members, aged 32 and 34, were arrested on Tuesday 10 and charged with murder.
SAPS spokesperson in Western Cape, Frederick van Wyk, said the arrests come after the assault of a person who later died in hospital due to injuries sustained on 3 January.
They are known for catching alleged criminals and then posting them – often beaten up – on their Facebook page confessing their “sins”. A community member, who asked not to be named, claimed that the crime rate has dropped since the patrol was formed three years ago.
“Patrol is doing more work than the SAPS, and we trust them more than we trust our police officers, and we will support them in this difficult time,” they told Scrolla.Africa.
Van Wyk said: “Langa police are investigating a murder case, and two suspects were arrested and charged with murder. They will appear in Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court soon on the mentioned charges.”
Langa station commander, Colonel Ronald Jacobs, warned community members not to take the law into their own hands because they would be prosecuted.
But a community member said, “We want the patrol members to be released because they have been doing a lot of work for us. Our police are useless and jealous of the good work done by Patrol.”
Another member said they would march to the police station if they had to.
“We will die where Patrol dies, and SAPS failed us long ago.”
“Criminals were doing what they wanted because they knew how useless the police were. So they committed the crimes knowing that nothing would happen to them until the Patrol arrived.”
He said soon they would draw up a petition to have the patrollers released and that they want the person who opened the case against the patrollers, and their family, to leave the township.
When Scrolla.Africa contacted LSP chairperson, Bandile Gcuwa, he said, “With all due respect, these are lies, but we cannot talk to media houses at the moment.”
Pictured above: Langa Safety Patrol members in Langa township, Cape Town
Image source: Supplied
