The recent murders of two Hlalani locals has sparked fear and concerns over safety and security among Hlalani residents.
The recent murders of two Hlalani locals has sparked fear and concerns over safety and security among Hlalani residents.
Two young people were stabbed to death in two different incidents in a space of a week.
Thozamile “Rocky” Mgcongo, a well-known dancer in Grahamstown, died in hospital last week after being stabbed on Wednesday 22 January.
Just a week before that, Tom Bill, in his early 20s, was stabbed to death in his home on Saturday 18 January by another local.
“The murder rates of young people in Grahamstown are shocking and also frightening,” said resident Asanda Ncwadi.
Ncwadi expressed the anxiety he gets when he leaves his single mother behind when he goes to Cape Town to study.
Ncwadi told Grocott's that he is deeply saddened by the horror of the death of young people, saying that it is a bad picture when you see a young person, who is willing to give so much to the world, being reduced to dust at an early age.
Another resident. Sesethu Mafani said “I don’t trust anything anymore; I am very scared to even walk around the street”.
A local spaza-shop owner who wishes to be unnamed for fear of reprisals expressed a similar view that she does not feel safe at any point of the day.
“I have a little girl, who goes to school during the day and a husband who goes work, and so when I’m alone I worry a lot about my safety,” she said.
She mentioned that closing her shop early is not feasible for her business.
“We want police to patrol around during the day and night, as a strategy of helping our current police forum, and so that we can feel at least safe,” she added.
The two alleged suspects are said to on free bail and will appear in court soon.
