Following the failure of crime prevention interventions in Diepsloot, the beleaguered community, which has been staging violent protests, has again called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene.

At the height of violent protests against crime in April 2022, Diepsloot residents rejected the government's interventions to end the violence and demanded to see President Cyril Ramaphosa.

On Wednesday, 21 June, a group comprising community and religious leaders representing the Diepsloot community marched to the Union Buildings in Tshwane to facilitate an audience with the President after the latest round of violent protests against crime in the area.

The protests, which began last weekend, were sparked by a reported increase in violent crimes such as robberies and murders, as well as what residents claim is the high number of undocumented foreigners living in the area.

Last weekend, protesters dismantled and torched some shacks that allegedly harboured criminals in Diepsloot. On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, they shut down some foreign-owned businesses.

At the Union Buildings on Wednesday, Vincent Ndou, chair of the community policing forum (CFP) in Diepsloot, said they had embarked on the protests to draw the attention of the authorities to the soaring crime rate in the area.

"Crime is out of control. The police are not working with the people on the ground. As a result, no matter how strong the police deployment, if they don't...