South Africa: Kariega Residents March for Better Policing

"Protection fees are demanded from our children by other learners at schools, and they end up dropping out."

About 1,000 Kariega residents, carrying placards and singing, marched to the Uitenhage Town Hall on Monday to demand that the police and government do more to reduce crime.

The protesters came from Rosedale, Joe Slovo, Blikkiesdorp, Geraldsmith, Greenfields and KwaLanga. The march was joined by learners from high schools, such as John Walton and Limekhaya, and primary schools, such as Jubilee Park, CW Hendricks, Dalrose, Seagal, St Joseph's and James Ndulula. The march was organised by organisations in Kamesh, Kariega.

Protest leader Noluthando Qhama Jamda addressed the crowd, saying, "Every day nurses say bye-bye to their families when going to clinics, not knowing if they will come back home alive or not ... Protection fees are demanded from our children by other learners at schools, and they end up dropping out."

She said the November Uitenhage carnival can no longer be held because of crime.

"We can't even send our children to the shops anymore without having anxiety and prayer," she said.

A nurse who had joined the march told GroundUp that the Rosedale clinic has been closed for weeks because of gang violence. "Gangsters run to the clinic when fights erupt. Recently, one patient was hit by a stray bullet inside our clinic while waiting to be attended to," she said.

Ward 49 Councillor Georgen Miggels said, "This march today is for one reason only: we are tired of crime. There were a lot of people who were against this march, but we agreed to push forward."

A three-page memorandum was accepted by Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner Major General Vuyisile Ncata.

Handing over the memorandum, protest leader Mgcini Mejane said people were abandoning their houses because of crime in the area.

"The anti-gang unit must not be in Gqeberha only. We also need it in Kariega ... Government must employ more police in Kamesh Police Station and add more resources, because Kamesh has only two vans. We want a satellite police station in that area. We want a regular search of all places that are harbouring criminals."

Ncata accepted the memorandum and promised that the South African Police Service would work harder.

Read the original article on GroundUp.