Ivydale community: ‘CPF not welcome here’
The Ivydale community and sex workers accuse CPF members of victimisation, assault, theft and intimidation.
POLOKWANE – The Community Policing Forum (CPF) in Ivydale has declined to comment on allegations of victimisation, assault, theft and intimidation that have been levelled against them by the Ivydale community and sex workers in the area.
The group approached Polokwane Observer saying members of the forum during random patrols, searches and raids in the streets invade the personal space of residents and in some instances, people are beaten up, have their possessions stolen and sex workers have been told to leave Ivydale “because of the work they do”.
In a previous engagement with the CPF on the matter, the forum’s official comment was that sex work should be conducted in private.
At the time, they confirmed to have burnt down a number of mattresses in the bush, and broke down abandoned buildings that were used for sex work, claiming they had received prior permission from the building owners.
On Monday, aggrieved residents staged a protest on Trevor Road where they burnt tyres and barricaded the road asking for a meeting to be held between the sex workers, ordinary residents, the CPF and the police. A meeting was subsequently held the following day.
The protest started after prostitutes who felt they had been mistreated during a CPF operation earlier in the day, decided that something had to be done.
“Since the CPF was launched in the area in December 2020, their members have been focused on getting rid of us. Some of us have been working in these bushes for years and no one has ever had a problem with us.
“We respect the community and would never do anything in plain sight. If they feel that we are guilty of public indecency then they should open criminal cases with the police and not take the law into their own hands.”
They claim that some of them have even tried to join the CPF in order to assist with crime fighting in the area but were denied membership because of their occupation.
“They are trying to enforce their religious views on us. We are not all religious and to claim what we are doing is wrong based on that, is not right.
“We have a right to work too. We are cautious of the community and would never disrespect them but we and our clients are being disrespected daily. They go to the point of taking photos of our clients and their cars which in turn makes them skeptical of being here because a huge part of our job is secrecy and privacy.”
She claims that innocent people have lost their jobs because the CPF took photographs of them and reported them to their employers for making use of their services.
Westenburg Station Commander, Col Maimele Pilusa responded by saying the meeting was a productive one as it allowed all parties involved to have a say.
“We have agreed to have a follow-up meeting early in the new year, but for now they are allowed to operate as long as it is not in the streets. The police will not tolerate them exhibiting in the street and they will be arrested for that.”
He has refuted any claims of intimidation or assault.
