The few residents who attended the rape awareness campaign organised by the police this week voiced their concerns about the town's increasing crime rate and their dissatisfaction with local police structures.
The few residents who attended the rape awareness campaign organised by the police this week voiced their concerns about the town's increasing crime rate and their dissatisfaction with local police structures.
Local police also spoke out against rape and abuse during the poorly attended campaign, which was held at Noluthando Hall on Tuesday.
The meeting was largely attended by the police and a few community members. The meeting was not sufficiently publicised, said a community member who spoke at the meeting.
In a statement released by police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender the day before, she said the community was invited to attend the event, adding that there would also be an opportunity for the community to raise their concerns on general policing.
Those who were in attendance were able to raise some important issues during the meeting. Extension 9 resident Reverend Sebenzile Plaatjie criticised the relationship between the police, Community Police Forum (CPF) and the residents.
He said the police and the CPF were not working with the community to combat crime in his area.
"An old woman was killed in Extension 9. I investigated the case and got to the bottom of it," he said.
Plaatjie said he found the old woman's furniture in a house in Extension 9 and reported this to the police, but after that, he said the police sidelined him.
He says whenever he went to the police station to find out the progress of the case he would be sent from pillar to post.
"The boys that were arrested were released because of insufficient evidence, and the CPF kept quiet," Plaatjie said.
He said the case against the people who were arrested was later changed to robbery and from there went quiet.
"We are still crying about the case of that old woman who lived in Ngonyama Street," said Plaatjie.
Responding to this and other complaints, Grahamstown Cluster Commander Brigadier Vakala Moyake said: "We cannot keep quiet about crime. We arrest 99 percent of the people who commit crime. We go to people, but they don't come forward with information."
Moyake assured the public that his door was always open to people who feel they are not getting the assistance they deserve from the police.
"You can come to me or the station commander. Help us cure this situation. Tell us who these people are," he said.
Another resident blamed taverns for the high crime rate.
The event began with a police march. The police choir provided some entertainment for the people in attendance and a motivational speaker warned people of the negativity associated with criminal activity.
Organisations like Famsa, Social Development, SASSA, Correctional Services, Department of Education and various police structures were given an opportunity to explain their involvement in fighting rape, domestic violence and crime in general.
