Community wants cop patrols

AN increase in housebreakings and robberies in their community over the past month this weekend prompted members of Otjomuise’s Agtste Laan informal settlement to stage a protest in the hope of attracting the attention of the authorities.

The approximately 30-plus demonstrators included women and children who spoke of how they had been robbed in the dark and in the absence of any law enforcement.Amama Kinda, recalled how unknown men broke into her shack while she and her baby were inside sleeping, and stole her clothes and household goods before casually leaving and disappearing into the night.Others related how television sets, electricity generators and even beds had been taken from their shacks in similar fashion, and with no means of retaliation against the culprits.One man, who was not present at the meeting, was said to have been shot in the leg by someone who drove past his shack and sped off afterwards.’We want the Police to know what’s happening here, because if we become forced to take the law into our own hands and someone gets hurt, we want it known that we’ve been pleading for assistance to no avail,’ said one of the group’s spokespersons, Eliphas Tjizera. The group made three requests to the authorities in their attempt to return order to their area.The first is that shebeens in their neighbourhood be forced to strictly adhere to the legal operating times, namely 22h00 during the week and midnight on weekends.Secondly, they asked the municipality to install streetlights in their area to help with visibility and the identification of suspects on the run.’It’s both guys from the neighbourhood and from outside who are doing these things. And we suspect some of the shebeens in the area to be supporting them, but without the Police we can’t just go into someone’s establishment and claim our things back,’ another of the group’s leaders, George Kavari, said.’Women can’t even go to the toilets at night for fear of someone attacking or raping them. We aren’t safe here anymore,’ Kinda said. The third request made by the community is that the City Police patrol their area regularly, especially at night.’The only time we see Police presence is when they come to tear down our shacks, or when they attend to a crime that’s already happened. There’s no threat to these criminals,’ said Agnes Korupanda, a pregnant woman from the neighbourhood.While the Windhoek City Police were invited to the demonstration on Saturday, they were told that no cars were available to allow them to show.The City Police have however promised to meet with the group this afternoon at 17h00 to hear their grievances.Group members spoken to also expressed fears that the authorities may be turning a blind eye on them due to the number of illegal shacks that have been set up there.