Residents of Soshanguve extension 4, held a community meeting on Wednesday evening to address poor service delivery, drug abuse and high crime rate.
The community members together with community leaders came out in numbers to express their concerns and to find solutions to the challenges affecting and corrupting their community.
Community leader, Evans Chauke Mogadima, said the community is facing an intense crime rate, drug abuse, cable theft and improper service delivery.
Mr Thomas Sithole, a victim of house-breaking said, ‘‘my house was broken into because of the street lights not working. I did not report the matter to the Police because they do not help and the councillor has told us that there is only one police vehicle patrolling.’’
One of the overwhelmed residents, Zandile Hlabathi, said she is not enjoying the life that is being lived at her community. She said the community is not conducive to live in at all, ‘’I have experienced many crimes occurring in this community, we live in bushes and it is not safe at all.
“I was once under threat as a witness from criminals with guns, so as a community even when some of us can patrol, nothing can protect us from gun-wielding criminals”.
She said she is unemployed and cannot afford to pay the contribution fees that are being paid by the community. “When government jobs are advertised we are told that we should pay R180 joining free to get a government job, which I do not have,” she said.
Ms Bongi Ngobese, a resident concerned with nyaope using youth, said, ‘‘we need to stand up against crime and drugs, it is not about the poor or the rich because we have youth who are from well-to-do families but still they do drugs, we have tot stand up as a community.”
Councillor of the community, Saki Ntonhla, confirmed that the delay to respond to crime is caused by the police using only one vehicle to patrol.
He requested the community to stop dumping as dumping stretches the budget meant for other expenses.
He said the issues of the tall grass and uncontrolled bushes is a problem, previously tractors were hired to cut the grass and trim the bushes but they did not do a proper job so they were stopped.
He said there is nothing within the law that requires community members to pay R180 for government jobs or joining fees.
“If there is anyone who is charging people to apply for government jobs or demand a joining fee for ANC, they should be reported to me and I will deal with them,” the councillor said.
