Community gives marching orders to 'drug lords' after violent clash with residents

COMMUNITY activists in Club 2000 are petitioning for "drug lords" to leave the area after residents say they were terrorised by a group of about 25 people believed to be linked to a local drug kingpin.

Community leader Thabiso Louw said he was among those injured when residents were attacked with pangas and knobkerries.

He explained that residents had decided to take matters into their own hands after the police allegedly failed to honour a commitment to assist them last week.

“Homes are regularly broken into and items are stolen. Most of the affected residents are elderly grandmothers and women-headed households,” said Louw.

“Eight televisions were recently stolen from residents while they were asleep. Community members decided to search the home of a suspected drug lord in Boichoko Street, Galeshewe, on September 26 for the stolen goods.”

Louw stated that they were granted permission to search the house.

“While we were busy, two vehicles and a bakkie full of people arrived at the house and started to attack us. Firearms were pointed at us, and they threatened to kill my family.”

According to Louw, when the Public Order Police, military police, Kimberley station commander, and officers from the Galeshewe and Kagisho police stations arrived, they warned the residents that they risked arrest.

“The drug lords were familiar with the police and no action was taken against them. This flies in the face of verbal commitments that the police wish to work with the community to eradicate crime.”

Louw said the community remained determined not to back down in their efforts to drive criminal elements out of their neighbourhood.

SAPS Northern Cape spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam said that the Kagisho police were investigating an assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm following the alleged attack on a 42-year-old man in Boichoko Street, Club 2000, on September 26.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that a group of people and the complainant were involved in an altercation,” Sam said. “The police are pleading with the public not to take matters into their own hands but to rather seek assistance from the police. 

“The investigation is continuing,” he added.