{"id":150277,"date":"2017-05-03T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/150277\/clean-up-to-lower-crime\/"},"modified":"2017-05-03T15:33:03","modified_gmt":"2017-05-03T13:33:03","slug":"clean-up-to-lower-crime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2017\/05\/03\/clean-up-to-lower-crime\/","title":{"rendered":"Dangerous land to be cleared in effort to reduce crime"},"content":{"rendered":"

Danger for unsuspecting people lurks in the serene-looking bushes and open ground near the Khuthalo Train Station, near Dukathole.<\/p>\n

For it\u2019s in this area that rape, murder and robbery rear their ugly heads on a regular basis.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

Const Queen Sibeko, from Germiston SAPS social crime prevention, told the GCN that crimes of this nature have been steadily increasing and so far two murders and a number of rapes and robberies have occurred.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecently security guards at the train station were also attacked and their firearms stolen,\u201d she said.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

\u201cThe community is scared and the area is not safe for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sibeko added that women walking to the Dukathole Clinic from Germiston Extension Five and the Good Hope informal settlement were being targeted as they walked through the area in the early mornings.<\/p>\n

Men, however, are also at risk and the two murder victims were men believed to have been killed during robberies.<\/p>\n

In order to make the area a safer place for people, WO Charles Thobejane, who was a Germiston SAPS social crime prevention officer but has now taken up a position at the Ekurhuleni West cluster, came up with the idea of cleaning up the area.<\/p>\n

To this end, the first clean-up campaign took place last Thursday.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Clean-up teams work their way through the open piece of land, picking up litter and starting to clear the bush.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Germiston SAPS social crime prevention officers, members of the Germiston SAPS Crime Prevention Youth Desk, representatives of Prasa, Interwaste, Donn and the ward councillor for Dukathole, Oupa Tshabalala, got together to start tackling the mammoth task of clearing the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a large area to cover and we only managed to clear a small area,\u201d said Sibeko.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need more manpower and will be holding a meeting to try and involve more stakeholders, including the metro, in the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mpambane Ntsiki (deputy chair of the Germiston SAPS Crime Prevention Youth Desk, left), Chief Molefe (chairman of the youth desk), Constance Rabothata (community member), Thabiya Buti (Germiston Victim Empowerment Centre), Victor Mangena (Interwaste), Oupa Tshabalala (Donn), Oupa Tshabalala (ward councillor for Dukathole) and Const Queen Sibeko (Germiston SAPS social crime prevention) at the site near the Khuthalo Train Station, near Dukathole, where a team of people started a clean-up last Thursday.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anyone who would like to get involved in the campaign can contact Chief Molefe, the chairman of the youth desk on 073 244 6027.<\/p>\n

Sibeko said they will continue to hold clean-ups until the area is cleared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel this will go a long way to help ensure the safety of the people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the area is cleared there will be nowhere for people to hide and this will lower crime in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n