Violence and Democracy in Khayelitsha, Governing Crime through the ‘Community’

Abstract

Waving placards that read “Sonele zizikoli, sanele yicrime (we have had enough of crime and thugs),” more than 60 angry residents protested outside the Khayelitsha Police Station on Tuesday. [ . . . ] Residents’ leader Unathi Mabengwana said: “Given the high crime rate in our area, we are of the view that whatever cops do to fight crime here is not enough. We demand that cops should be more harsh when dealing with criminals.” Greg Wagner, spokesman for community safety department said [Member of the Executive Council] Dan Plato will meet with the Western Cape police commissioner, General Arno Lamoer, to discuss the issue next week. Wagner said the meeting would also be a follow up on the recent vigilante attacks, in which three alleged crime suspects were burnt to death at Enkanini squatter camp (Mnyakama 2012).

Keywords

• vigilantism, community, democracy