It saddens me to know that the community that my father grew up in, an Ocean View where we all have our roots, is under seige by increased criminal activity with NO support from the authorities.
Lack of enforcement and accountability creates opportunity for lawlessness to thrive!
If you’ve followed my blog for some time, then you may have read my posts filled with the memories of my childhood. Being raised in a community where I could walk home in the early hours of the morning, with NO FEAR of attack or needing to dodge bullets.
This, dodging bullets have become the everyday reality of the people living in Ocean View. I read the threads in my Facebook feeds. The fear, the very rational fear of parents, children – everyone BUT the criminals. Right now there is a protest outside the entrances of Ocean View.
A protest, a protest fuelled by absolute desperation, fear, frustration and anger!
This protest action started yesterday, exactly two years since I wrote about My Heart Bleeds for Masi. Today, Masiphumelele residents and other communities in the Far South are supporting Ocean View in their protest, a unified voice.
What is most disturbing is when the community call upon their local SAPS and higher authorities and political figures for assistance then they are met with silence or empty promises. But let the community take a stand and SUDDENLY law enforcement authorities arrive in full force to “serve and protect“. Yet they fail to respond to request for help when the bullets go flying and people start dying . . .
Today a mother is standing in the high court – hoping and praying that justice will prevail after her baby was brutally taken from her at the hands of a gunman. A few days ago children arrived at school, their peer’s chair empty, an innocent child gunned down while in his home. And while many news articles were written about these crimes and many other crimes and innocent victims of Ocean View. Not enough is being done to hold to account our government!
The entire Ocean View is a victim of crime, a victim of ineffective SAPS services, a victim of society – and dare I say it – a victim of a democracy that has become the get away vehicle for criminals!
Ocean View – I may not be out there on the streets with you, but know that I feel your pain, I sense your fears and I hope that the tide will change. Ek staan saam julle – ‘n bullet deur jou venster is ‘n bullet deur my hart!
I want to feel safe – I want you to feel safe. I want to know that in the future, it will once again be safe for me to get into a taxi with my son and walk the streets of the place I once called home.
Thank You Chev…appreciate your sharing and caring…what would you like to do about this
Creating awareness through my blog, about the plight of the Ocean View community. Letting the community know that while I may no longer live there, I hear their cry, and I acknowledge on this very public platform that the authorities and government has and continues to fail this community – always at the bottom of the list for efficient and effective service delivery and resource deployment.
True we only want peace and tranquillity again and not fear for our lives.
It is really sad that the area is no longer referred to as a safe place 🙁
Especially hard for old people and small children. I read the Echo ‘I want to die quietly of old age’
Heartbreaking and terrifying to live in fear.