According to a statement from the Douglasdale Community Policing Forum, the acting Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Lesetja Joel Mothiba, has placed all police stations and officers on standby due to the ongoing attacks on foreign nationals that could spread throughout Gauteng.
As yet, there have been no reports of xenophobic violence or unrest in the Douglasdale or Diepsloot policing precinct. However, the forum has urged all members, volunteers and security companies to be on standby to assist the police should they be called upon to do so.
According to a statement made by the national media centre of the South African Police Service, they have also activated joint operational centres nationally.
On 16 April, all relevant role players at the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) reported for duty. “The centre from where they are operating will run on a 24-hour basis in order to co-ordinate law enforcement’s response to the current wave of violent attacks on foreign nationals,” said National Police Commissioner General Riah Phiyega.
In order to improve their intelligence capacity, Saps has deployed additional operatives on the ground to gather information and to assess its validity so as to direct the operational response.
“Saps security forces will closely monitor the situation on the ground and the public are warned that any person committing acts of crime will be met with the full might of the law,” Phiyega added. “Also, all law-abiding citizens are urged to remain calm and to allow the security forces to do their work. While the police rely on information of possible criminality, we want to urge people to refrain from spreading false information that violence is flaring up in areas when in fact it is not.”
Jean Berdou, chairperson of the Douglasdale CPF said both the Honeydew Cluster and the forum were on short notice standby to assist police and Joburg Disaster Management in the event that xenophobic violence should spread.
“Lessons learnt from the Kya Sands fire and experience gained have honed the forum’s ability to respond at short notice,” he said.
The forum is appealing to the community to collect clothing, canned food, baby care products, toiletries and blankets in the event that xenophobic attacks do occur.
These donations can be dropped off at the Victim Support Centre at the Douglasdale Police Station.
Berdou also made an appeal to all churches and schools to collect clothing and non-perishable food.
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