Police, faith leaders and communities in Athlone held a prayer walk on Saturday in an effort to make the neighbourhood safer amid rampant crime and incidents of gender-based violence.
Just last month, the Athlone community was shocked by the kidnapping of 8-year-old Abirah Dekhta outside her home, Amber Court in Yusuf Gool Boulevard in Gatesville.
Saturday’s demonstration, organised by the Athlone community police forum, the SAPS, the Spiritual Crime Prevention Task Team, the Cape Flats Interfaith Initiative, and the Athlone Interfaith Fraternity, took place as the country marked 16 Days of Activism for an end to violence against women and children.
Athlone police station was among the top 30 in the country which recorded high numbers of cases of assault, robbery, murder, attempted murder, theft, and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. This is according to acting station commander Colonel Louis Solomons.
Solomons said the prayer walk was the first in a series of efforts planned for 2023 to stem the tide of crime and foster trust between the police, communities and entities such as neighbourhood watches, CPFs, and interfaith partners.
"All stakeholders need to co-ordinate efforts and take the message of peace to the communities. Churches and mosques can also help us to address crime," he added.
Zelda Hintsa, one of the organisers who also heads the spiritual crime prevention team, said it was important communities raised their voices against the scourge of violence against women.
“At the same time, our local communities are plagued by additional burdens of rampant crime, as well as gangsterism and a drug abuse epidemic,” she said.
Spokesperson for Athlone CPF Pat O’Connor also highlighted the importance of joining forces to encourage community members to speak out against crime.
“We are walking through Klipfontein Road – through Bridgetown, Rylands, Kewtown, Silvertown, and Belgravia – because they too are affected by social ills, and we are calling on them to join our efforts,” she said.
O’Connor also lamented the reduced funding to the CPF by the provincial government and said more funds would make an impact in tackling and GBV-related incidents.
The police station has established a trauma counselling service where accredited counsellors provide services. Among them is wellness and addictions counsellor Haneem Smith, who urged communities to report incidents of sexual violence.
"There’s still a reluctance among victims to report incidents, although women tend to report it more than men. This is due to fear of being stigmatised.
"Victims also feel let down by the justice system. However, we are urging people to speak out. When they do and report the cases, it will help authorities in determining where more resources are needed.“
Smith also said a programme of action for 2023 included a greater focus on GBV education awareness campaigns, providing more debriefing services for trauma victims, and working closely with neighbourhood watch structures in running campaigns on crime.
Weekend Argus