Tensions rise in Kraaifontein after community leaders say SAPS top brass failed to engage them

CAPE TOWN - Tensions are rising in Kraaifontein, Cape Town, after community leaders said national police officials failed to engage them during a recent visit.

Residents said they want a direct dialogue with authorities, rather than updates only through press briefings.

Frustrated community leaders said that they were unaware of National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola’s brief visit to the area on Wednesday afternoon.

Masemola visited the police station following a recent spate of gang-related murders in the area.

READ: Mob kills 3 men, torch bodies in Kraaifontein

They argued that while they have been actively working to fight gang-related violence in Kraaifontein, national interventions are only communicated in press briefings, with little direct engagement with the people on the ground.

“We were supposed to be informed that the police commissioner is coming into our area, especially after the incidents that have just happened and especially after we marched because we did register our concerns, but they didn’t invite us. They just did it on their own and I believe if they want to do something for us, they must never do it without us,” said activist Uviwe Ndikolo.

Leaders are now calling for a return visit by the commissioner and Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, emphasising that meaningful engagement with the community is essential if interventions are to be effective.