Cape Town - A group women from Site C, Taiwan burst into a “Bheki Cele song” during an anti-crime prayer meeting held at Solomon Tshuku Community Hall on Saturday.
Sharing the same vision and pain, the group called on the higher power as crime continued to escalate with women and children becoming victims of GBV.
The prayer, led by various community stakeholders including pastors together with SAPS, follows Police Minister Bheki Cele’s visit there on April 17.
Ward councillor Khayalethu Kama said based on recent crimes he, together with community members, saw it fitting to invite pastors to come and pray for the community so its people can hopefully live in a place full of harmony.
“We are gathered as community stakeholders, including political parties, pastors and available community members, to initiate a prayer service after many gruesome ordeals that left our community crying out for help.”
Kama said in the area there were about three Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) teams working hand-in-hand to help fight the increasing number of crimes.
“Previously in Site C basic services could not enter the area because of crime activities, but with the now active NHW, services are being delivered as they also help by escorting municipal vehicles.”
During his visit, Cele revealed to the same crowd that according to Western Cape statistics, 4 500 perpetrators were arrested for grievous bodily harm while 4 050 were released on bail.
“Police are only responsible for arresting offenders. Somebody must come and explain why so many people are out on bail,” he said. Cele said the number of GBV cases in South Africa might have less to do with crime tendencies, but a lot to do with how men carry themselves.
“All the initiatives that are being done from NHW to Men Campaigns and arrests are secondary. The primary thing is about us as men, how our minds work and how we conduct ourselves in our communities.”
All of this was said as Cele also revealed that during the Thabo Bester case briefing statistics showed that prisons were currently 44% overpopulated.
siviwe.melapi@inl.co.za