Zandspruit community hands over memorandum of demands to Police Minister

Community members in Zandspruit handed over a memorandum of demands to Police Minister, Bheki Cele during his visit on 22 May. This followed the harrowing incident on 19 May whereafter eight people were killed in an alleged mob-justice attack.

The demands include interventions from the Department of Home Affairs and law-enforcement agencies (through joint efforts) to verify all residents and confiscate all dangerous weapons in the community.

The memorandum details the influx of undocumented foreign nationals in the community of Zandspruit, and the increase in crimes such as robbery, rape and housebreakings. The community’s pleas include:

• The police and JMPD must establish satellite stations in the community to combat lawlessness
• Community safety department must establish a community policing forum
• Community-based safety initiatives must be supported
• Drug suppliers in the community must be combated
• All outstanding registered or opened cases must be finalised and perpetrators be arrested

Signed by both Cele and the MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko, Cele promised to return to Zandspruit in three weeks’ time with ministers from different departments to find solutions to the various problems that affect the community of Zandspruit.

Thobile Dubazana who handed over the memorandum said, “We don’t condone what has happened here. We have been failed and the only time we see such a presence from the police is when things are bad. Let’s hope the feedback is positive.”

“It is not safe in Zandspruit anymore, our lives are in danger. Our existence is threatened. Home Affairs and law-enforcement agencies must intervene before Zandspruit erupts and implodes as a degenerate to a criminal haven where lawlessness rules,” the memo stated.

WATCH: Minister Cele meets with Zandspruit community