By Luvuyo Mjekula
The community of Thatha in Joza wants two youths they claim have terrorised them for years to be removed from their area.
To this end, the residents drew up a petition with nearly 200 signatures and attempted to hand it to the Joza police station on Thursday.
However, Lt-Colonel Vuyokazi Melane from Vispol advised them to approach the Makhanda Magistrate’s Court with their petition.
The residents say they are enraged by the lawlessness in their area and blame it on the two young men.
“The community has been at the helm of criminal activity driven by these young men, which include a series of house burglaries where valuables were stolen and sold to a local spaza shop owner. For years, the community of Thatha has been held ransom by this group of young men.”
The community has had enough of living in fear, they told Grocott’s Mail on Thursday.
They explained that the petition called for the immediate removal of the youths from their places of residence in Thatha. “We have had enough of their criminal activity and call for their relocation,” said one resident who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation.
The community members said their own investigations uncovered a burglary syndicate with one of the youths as its mastermind. “Interventions have been made by the community, such as contacting the SAPS to arrest him, but the case seems to have hit a wall. His cronies had confirmed in a video that it is indeed him who had stored and sold stolen items in kwaThatha.”
What irks the residents is that even after they were arrested in connection with a recent housebreaking, the suspects were later released with no clear explanation provided to the affected parties and the broader public.
The residents said after his release after spending a few days behind bars, the youth and his cronies started making death threats at members of the community.
“Seemingly, he has no regrets over his actions and proudly parades his actions onto the community.”
According to the concerned community, the call for the youth’s removal comes after the community of Thatha had, on several occasions, made various attempts to speak to his family over his actions, but those interventions were met with verbal assault.
That left the community no alternative but to request for his removal from the community.
Before meeting with Melane, the residents interacted with ward 2 councillor Ramie Xonxa, who encouraged them to report criminal behaviour to authorities so the law can take its course.
The residents resolved to regroup and decide on the next course of action.
