Khayelitsha residents march against violence

The march started in Town Two and residents handed out pamphlets along the way as they walked to Site C rank.

Marchers said sexual offences were on the increase in Khayelitsha and urged the community to join hands with the police. SJC Community Advocate, Nomthetho Kilo, said police in Khayelitsha were understaffed and did not have sufficient resources to fight crime.

Kilo said 147 cases of rape and abuse were reported daily in South Africa. But many cases of rape and abuse were not reported because people had lost faith in the justice system, she said.

She highlighted the deaths of five-year-old Anovuyo Ndamase, whose body was found near her home in Enkanini, and 19-year-old Bongiwe Nini whose body was found in a drain in Site C.

Those accused of the murder of Anovuyo Ndamase appeared in court last month and the case continues in May. Those accused of the murder of Bongiwe Nini are to appear in court later this month.

Kilo said the Commission of Enquiry into policing in Khayelitsha had helped to speed up the process of bringing those accused to justice.

“We are delighted that we put pressure on the enquiry to speed up the process of making sure that the cases does finally go to the high court, as cases in Khayelitsha usually drag on before they go to court,” she said.

“We want the courts to hand out heavy punishment to the perpetrators of these heinous act so that the families of these victims can also closure for once.”