KwaThema, Gauteng — KwaThema residents are intensifying their demands for a functional police station in the east Johannesburg township, citing severe systemic failures in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide in the City of Ekurhuleni. The urgent outcry coincides with a high-level government visit aimed at addressing local service delivery and neighborhood safety crises.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni recently led a delegation of government officials and civil society organizations through the township as part of the ‘Love Your Street’ service delivery programme. The initiative is designed to promote active citizenry and foster cleaner, safer neighborhoods, arriving at a critical time amid a spate of GBV, murder incidents, and the grim discovery of bodies across the city.
Community members used the platform to voice deep-seated frustrations over the lack of adequate policing infrastructure. Currently, the township relies on a temporary mobile police structure that residents say is entirely non-functional. Locals report that while they can visit the mobile unit to attempt to open a case, they are routinely denied official case numbers.
The safety vacuum has had devastating consequences. Residents highlighted that violent crimes, including rapes, occur frequently in a local field where the lifeless body of a woman, was discovered on September 15. She is reportedly one of nine femicide victims in Ekurhuleni thus far. Community members also noted the frequent, tragic discovery of fetuses in the area, stating that police consistently fail to respond to their calls for help.
Frustration with the South African Police Service (SAPS) extends to allegations of gross incompetence and misconduct. Residents claim that when they report emergencies or missing persons, police routinely claim a lack of available vehicles. However, locals allege that officers are seen using police cars for personal errands and have even accused some personnel of introducing drugs into the community. Furthermore, families reporting missing loved ones are allegedly told to wait 24 hours before a case can be formally registered, delaying critical search efforts.
The delegation also addressed the role of environmental design in community safety. Stakeholders pointed out that dark, unlit streets and illegal dumping sites create dangerous blind spots. Minister Ntshavheni noted that eradicating illegal dumping grounds is not only an environmental imperative but a crucial crime prevention strategy, removing potential locations where victims of violence are discarded.
In a significant step forward, officials confirmed that the municipality has officially availed the land required to construct a permanent police station in KwaThema. While the national government holds the mandate for actually building police infrastructure, the recent and final completion of the land release process removes a major bureaucratic hurdle. Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza and the delegation expressed hope that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, in collaboration with SAPS, will now expedite construction to provide the community with a proper, serviceable facility.
To conclude the visit, the delegation participated in a symbolic gesture, planting nine trees in solemn honor of the nine femicide victims who have lost their lives in Ekurhuleni, reaffirming the government’s stated commitment to turning the tide on gender-based violence.
