Mawela Calls for Community Support in Diepsloot Policing Efforts

Gauteng police commissioner Gen Elias Mawela emphasises the crucial need for support in Diepsloot, stating that no sustainable solution to curb crime in the area can be achieved until every government department plays its part.

Mawela highlights the necessity for collaboration from departments such as human settlements, home affairs, and the City of Johannesburg to implement the police’s plans to address high crime levels in Diepsloot effectively. SowetanLIVE reports that During a briefing to the legislature’s portfolio committee on community safety, Mawela, along with district commissioner Max Masha and Diepsloot police station commander Koena Moichela, outlined a three-stage approach involving stabilisation, normalisation, and sustaining phases.

Also read: Gauteng’s Top Cop Mawela: Amapanyaza Cannot Serve as Commissioners of Oaths

The commissioner underscores the challenges posed by illegal electricity connections and unsuitable shack designs, urging Eskom and human settlement departments to address these issues for the safety of police officers navigating the area’s narrow passages. Mawela expresses concerns about the influx of undocumented foreign nationals contributing to increased crime, with 736 arrests reported from April to September. He calls for legislative correction to loopholes allowing undocumented migrants to exploit the court process and legitimise their stay in the country.

Mawela acknowledges that the police, with a ratio of one officer to 1,063 people, face challenges exacerbated by the undocumented nationals harboured by community members. Diepsloot police station commander Koena Moichela highlights the spillover of crime into schools, with young girls as part of gangs carrying knives. The recent vigilante attacks resulting in seven deaths, with five suspected to be foreign nationals, underscore the urgent need for comprehensive and coordinated efforts to address the complex challenges in Diepsloot.

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Picture: X / MxolisiBob

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