Soshanguve township residents in Tshwane continue to live in fear, while Panyaza Lesufi’s government offers empty promises and performative interventions. The recent massacre of six community patrollers in the Marry Me Informal Settlement is not merely a tragedy: it's a damning indictment of the systematic failure and neglect by the Gauteng Provincial Government.
The tragic loss of these community patrollers in Soshanguve represents a significant failure of our public safety systems. These individuals, who volunteered their time to protect their neighbourhood when official structures proved inadequate, suffered a horrific fate—being shot, stoned, and ultimately burned to death.
Their sacrifice was unnecessary and highlights a concerning reality: Residents often resort to forming their own security initiatives when they feel abandoned by the institutions meant to protect them. This incident is not isolated but rather part of a troubling pattern. Similar attacks on Community Policing Forum (CPF) members and informal safety volunteers have occurred across the country, including the murder of a 53-year-old CPF member at his Wentworth home in Johannesburg this January.
These events call for urgent reflection on how we can better support community safety initiatives while ensuring proper resources are allocated to law enforcement agencies so citizens don't feel compelled to put themselves in harm's way.
Soshanguve's crime crisis has reached unbearable levels. Children as young as four and five years old have become victims of senseless violence. Five-year-old Ditebogo Junior Phalane was shot dead simply for running to greet his father during a vehicle hijacking. The tragic deaths of siblings Tinyiko (7) and Mpfumo Mashaba (4) within their own homes illustrate how this security crisis has affected even the youngest and most defenceless members of the community.
These heartbreaking cases highlight how the area's shocking crime levels are affecting even the most vulnerable residents. Data from Soshanguve, Rietgat, and Temba police stations continue to show concerning levels of serious offences, including carjacking, robbery, and sexual crimes. This pattern suggests an urgent need for comprehensive intervention to address the deteriorating security situation and protect community members, especially children.
The security challenges have severely impacted access to essential services in the area, such as e-hailing services, which have become unavailable as drivers avoid the area due to hijacking concerns. Similarly, residents face difficulties receiving packages as courier services have restricted deliveries because of safety risks.
Most alarmingly, however, is the fact that emergency medical services have been compromised, with reports of ambulances being targeted and stripped while responding to calls. These incidents have created barriers to crucial healthcare access for vulnerable community members requiring urgent medical attention.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the Tshwane Mayor, and their entourages returned to Marry Me Informal Settlement for yet another engagement, another community imbizo. This is another engagement meant to address residents’ concerns about safety and service delivery, but residents have heard it all before. Last year, Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale promised to tackle high crime rates in Jukulyn. The Gauteng Provincial Legislature's Portfolio Committee on Community Safety held public meetings. The Rietgat Police Station management presented strategies. Yet, nothing has fundamentally changed for these residents.
Residents of the Marry Me Informal Settlement have raised concerns about ongoing criminal activities in their area. They say they have been reporting these crimes for a long time, yet no action has been taken. Some residents have even alleged that criminals operate in collusion with corrupt police officers, a devastating accusation that undermines any remaining trust in law enforcement institutions.
While crime dominates headlines, the chronic lack of basic services continues to define daily life in Soshanguve. Residents are living in fear due to alleged extortion by individuals providing illegal electricity connections.
The provincial government's latest promises to formalise the Marry Me Informal Settlement with water and electricity services come after years of neglect. The municipality purchasing the land is presented as progress, but for residents who have endured years without essential services, these incremental steps are too little, too late.
The rise of informal community patrollers, like those tragically killed in March, represents the community's desperate attempt to fill the void left by inadequate policing. While official Community Policing Forums (CPFs) exist on paper, many residents have formed their protection groups out of necessity and a lack of efficient policing visibility.
The brutal killing of community patrollers who were simply trying to protect their neighbours should serve as the final wake-up call for the Gauteng provincial government. Failure to act decisively now would confirm what many residents already believe—that those in power have abandoned Soshanguve to fend for itself in the face of overwhelming challenges.
The people of Soshanguve deserve to feel safe in their communities. They deserve a government that delivers on its constitutional obligations to provide safety, security, and services to all citizens, regardless of where they live.
A DA Gauteng-led provincial government will ensure that all police stations are equipped with adequate resources needed to prevent and fight crime.
Furthermore, DA Gauteng is against the Government of Provincial Unity’s decision to relocate the Department of Community Safety to the Office of the Premier. Rather than centralising power in the office of a Premier barely managing to run Gauteng, the current government should appoint a capable MEC to lead the fight against crime.
* Solly Msimanga MPL, DA Gauteng Leader of the Official Opposition