A 14-year-old stabs a 12-year-old to death. A woman pours acid over her boyfriend and herself and dies within a couple of weeks of each other.

A young man commits suicide and the news of his death breaks the heart of his grandmother and she dies in the same week.

An uncle beats his nephew to death; a woman was found burnt to death and dumped in Glenridge behind a well-known supermarket.

A shocking reality that consumes the community of Ward 14, a cruel reality that nobody is willing to accept, that is why the resident councillor will be hosting a series of meetings around the area to address the issue of crime.

Cllr Jabu Khanyi encourages that residents step up and take responsibility and start claiming their streets back by reporting the crime that they are turning a blind eye to.

“The SAPS have to be told about these incidents, you can’t expect the police to just go to people’s homes without being notified of events; the community needs to stop letting things or crimes to just happen with them knowing.

“If residents don’t step up and go to authorities to report crimes, they can’t expect things like these to end in the community because people are sitting at home withholding vital information.”

Deeply rooted religiously, Khanyi spoke of how she feels God has turned His back on men, because of how women have been empowered.

“When your child walks into the house with a random television set or smartphone, as a parent do you question where he/she got it from you just accept those incidents?”

The councillor asks residents to be vigilant of their surroundings at all times and report any suspicious behaviour to authorities.

“When people are pushing those 2litre bins in broad daylight, where are they pushing them to, what’s inside the bins, these are things they use to steal with that people are not paying attention to.”

According to the councillor, the government is trying to eliminate crime and poverty among people, but people need to go back to God so they can live comfortably together in a community, she referred to the spirit of Ubuntu.

These meetings began last week on June 1 and the next will be on the June 6 at the Naledi Sports Grounds and June 7 in Protea Glen Extension 4 with all police officers (10 plus) who deal with various criminal acts.

These meetings will assist in knowing what to do or who to go to if there is nuisance noise, what to do in cases of domestic violence, illegal dumping etc.

“When you see other people going through something, don’t just watch or let it happen, try to curb it because tomorrow, it might be you.”

Cllr Khanyi said that they need to stop what they are doing and it is not right.

“Really God has entrusted them (men) to come to this world as His representatives and to protect that has been created by Him so if they are the culprits hurting us, God will be upset with them and they must refrain from doing such things.”

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News site 1: Westside-Eldos Urban News, News site 2: Soweto Urban News