Soshanguve’s worst crime zone, where residents are plagued by violence.
Crime in Tshwane continues to destroy the lives and prosperity of many people, even though the Gauteng provincial government has made considerable efforts to combat crime.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has granted Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s crime prevention wardens the same legal status as Gauteng provincial traffic officers. Lamola delivered an update on the status of the 6,000 crime prevention wardens appointed by Lesufi and Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko in February 2023 to battle crime in the communities.
But the Gauteng Crime Prevention wardens continue to face criticism from all parties. They have been prevented from performing police responsibilities at police stations, accused of attacking residents, and are now being held accountable for the spread of crime in Tshwane Regions.
Now, the powerless wardens appear to be having little effect on crime in Jukulyn’s high-crime zones. This area is called hell, and the residents are tormented by violence and crime. For safety reasons, courier cars, bread trucks, and ambulances in Jukulyn must be escorted by police officers.
The area has been plagued by crime in recent years as a result of criminal turf disputes over drug sales, and business owners have been forced to pay protection fees.
In a recent event two men, Tshepo Mosemeni, 30, and Sipho Kgomo, 33, appeared hastily in Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court recently after being accused of killing four people in Block P. The tragedy has raised growing concerns among residents, given the township’s severe crime rate.
Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, spokesperson for Gauteng police, stated that an internal police report uncovered 80 empty rifle rounds at the scene, as well as 19 cartridges from a 9mm firearm. Community members gathered outside the Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court, holding placards with messages expressing their displeasure with the crime in the area.
The city of Tshwane has undertaken several crime prevention techniques, yet the crime situation in the area remains unchanged. Although crime rates fell in the first quarter of 2023, the numbers remain frighteningly high, with some communities being identified as more hazardous than others.
Violent crime, such as murder, is down in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, with 6,228 homicides registered vs 6,424 in the previous year.
The most recent South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics from April to June 2023 show a favourable trend in many of South Africa’s more serious crime categories.
The result is extreme inequality and widespread violence in large cities, especially in townships. Each day, over 56 murders take place, making this one of the highest murder rates.
Inevitably, present techniques are achieving little, as robberies and murders seem to be on the rise a new strategy must be implemented to reduce crime while simultaneously increasing the quality of life in South African Townships.
There is no safety in Jukulyn. People coming from work are robbed; if they refuse to surrender their belongings, they are sometimes brutalized. There is a fear among residents of going to the shops during the day for fear of being robbed. People who perpetrate the crimes are well-known in the area.
As a result of these crime elements, the community in the area claims that the police work with gangsters. The area has several police stations, including Rietgat SAPS, which has a satellite station in Block HH, and the Soshanguve police station in Block H.
For several months, criminals have been killing each other in a struggle to extort businesses, to assert who is the kingpin, and to demand recognition in the area.
Locals believe that the area has already been compromised, and even if it can be fixed, youngsters in the area have embraced a criminal lifestyle to make money.
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