Eldorado and Freedom Park are under siege from gangs, drugs, guns and corrupt cops, residents tell Bheki Cele

Residents of Eldorado Park and Freedom Park warned police minister Bheki Cele they would take the law into their own hands because of the many empty promises made to them. Accompanied by a phalanx of police officers during his visit on Thursday 15 August 2019, Cele heard a litany of complaints as residents shared their pain of having to constantly battle crime and drugs.

A community member who gave only his surname, Sithole, told Cele:

“Eldorado Park is under siege. I don’t have faith in any police officer in Eldorado Park. Whenever you go to the police there are no vehicles. Some of the police are no longer police, they are housing officials, forcibly taking people’s houses.”

Ten mothers whose children have been killed told Cele that of the 10 cases, only two were being investigated; the other eight had simply collapsed.

Many residents brought case numbers to prove they had opened cases which received very little or no attention. Most cases residents cited involved deaths.

Mothers shared the pain of seeing their sons and daughters killed right before their eyes, some in their own houses. Residents said that for one crime and drug reason or another, they could no longer stay in their homes.

One mother told Cele:

“My daughter was shot and killed with her Uber driver. He was shot by a police officer who she was in a relationship with. The officer had previously pistol-whipped a boy in our street. He is out on R500 bail. If he had been arrested for the earlier incident, my daughter would still be alive. He said Bheki Cele ordered (police) to shoot and kill. He followed your orders. My daughter and the Uber driver died because the officer followed your orders.”

State witnesses in the many unresolved cases were not safe, Cele heard.

Ethel Rosenberg, 56, from Freedom Park, told Cele “I live like a slave in my house” because of her two drug-addicted sons. She had even fitted her bedroom door with a security gate to protect herself from her sons. Rosenberg said police told her to leave everything to them, but they have done nothing while she is tormented daily.

In May 2013, former president Jacob Zuma visited Eldorado Park and promised to drive a robust anti-drug campaign. Residents told Daily Maverick that after his visit, a few “lolly lounges” (drug dens) were shut down but within weeks it was business as usual for the drug dealers. Zuma had visited the area at the behest of a mother who was distraught because of the drug scourge in the area.

“You come here and make promises, when you leave nothing changes. In Cape Town you have deployed the army, but here 40 people die weekly,” said one community member.

Leaders of bodies such as the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and neighbourhood watch told Daily Maverick things were the same as they had been before Zuma’s visit, if not worse.

Prince Nhleko, 33, chairperson of the Eldorado Park Youth Crime Prevention Desk, said things were the same as they had always been. He said authorities visited, but did not follow up on adopted strategies. He said the government needed to lend more support to organisations such as the Community Policing Forums (CPFs).

“They should follow up on adopted strategies and also provide incentives for the CPF and other NGOs. We get shot at, we risk our lives. At the end when I’m shot it means my family will pick up the medical bill because we don’t get paid to do this,” said Nhleko.

Mandla Maimela, Deputy Chairperson of the CPF, Greater Eldorado Park Region, said their lives were in constant danger:

“We patrol at night and disturb the business of ruthless thugs. The least the government can do is provide us with resources, which they don’t.”

A member of the Eldorado Neighbourhood Watch told Cele:

“It can't be the norm that we are held hostage in our own homes. It cannot be a norm that moms are robbed on their way to work. We want long-term solutions. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cannot come to Eldorado Park because of crime. If you don’t act we will take the law into our own hands.”

The community of Freedom Park told Cele they were also living in fear.

Said Thaboso Rakomane:

“Everyone in Freedom Park has a firearm. Kids have guns. In December last year (2018) 15 people were killed within a space of three weeks. I personally contacted you and you told me you were at the airport returning from overseas. Please come to Freedom Park and hear the horror stories, minister.”

Muzi Mathe said the perpetrators in Freedom Park were known to residents and police needed to act. Mathe said the community had to be provided with a mobile police station because the problems there required drastic solutions, He asked Cele to deploy the Special Tactical Unit, commonly known as “Amabarethe”.

Cele told residents that when he returned to the area they should be united so that they could speak with one voice. He said criminals would take over if the community was not united.

“We will return to speak to organisations. When we are back, the community should be represented,” said Cele.

Regarding the issue of the Eldorado Police Station being inadequately equipped and understaffed, Cele told residents this was a painful reality.

“This problem is real. You are not dreaming. The police station has 55 cars, 22 of which are in hospital. Almost 50% of our cars are in hospital. The other problem is that they are in hospital for a very long time.”

Cele did not say how this would be solved, but hinted that it would be addressed when he returned, possibly next week Tuesday.

Responding to the mothers whose children had been killed, Cele ordered a law clinic to specifically deal with the outstanding cases in one day. Cele said that prosecutors might also be invited to be part of the talks so that they could advise on how to proceed in each case.

“I’m ordering a one-day clinic here. These cases cannot be left hanging. We need to look at new cases. On that day give me or the national commissioner the names of the corrupt officers and what you accuse them of.”

Violet Bouwers told Cele a police officer had demanded to have sex with her in return for her freedom.

Cele responded:

“We cannot have corrupt police who think that when women are at the station they are there for their pleasure. Any police officer that does this should be fired. Even telling women how to dress is not a police problem. Allow women to dress in what’s comfortable for them because you are police, not style artists.”

One community member said he had never seen such a huge number of police, not even in crime and drug-infested Eldorado Park, as the number accompanying Cele on Thursday’s visit.

“Today police are all over the show — when we need them to combat crime here in Eldos,” he said. DM