MEC for Human Settlements, Safety and Liaison Helen Sauls-August has called on Tholeni residents in Butterworth to provide law enforcement agencies deployed in Tholeni with information that could lead to arrests of all suspects linked to the murders in the area.
Another woman was hacked to death in Butterworth on Sunday, 12 August despite a mobile police station and police van patrol in the area. She was the 19th victim to be murdered in the area in four years. A suspect has already been arrested and appeared in court yesterday for the recent murder.
"Tholeni Community must help us end the mysterious killing of innocent people in their village. We want to restore peace in that area, but we need the community to help us identify people responsible for the murders and turned that area into a village of death," she said.
On Thursday, Eastern Cape Safety and Liaison team will meet will meet with the local Chief, National Prosecuting Authority, Social Development, SAPS to relook at the new strategy after the Sunday killing.
"The fact that this murder happened under police watch clearly indicates that we need to come up with a new plan to stop the killings. The community has crime intelligence information that can help us restore peace in the area by arresting all those responsible for these heinous crimes."
There is a government task team deployed in the areas which comprises of SAPS, NPA, Social Development, Safety and Liaison. They (task team) meet regularly with the victims to update them on cases and also attend to other concerns raised by the community such as lights and demarcation of streets in the area.
They would also look into the counselling of victims in the area. Village committees have been established to complement the work of the police in the area. The department will also buy reflectors for village committee members working on patrols at night.
Lwandile Sicwetsha
Cell: 071 671 1770
