KwaNobuhle is the largest township situated in Kariega, formerly known as Uitenhage, in the Eastern Cape.
This community has a rich history and was once a place people felt proud to call their home.
But today, a dark cloud hangs over residents who live in fear every day.
Community leader Tamsanqa Nkevu said that apart from a spike in robberies and house break-ins, he’s counted more than 40 violent deaths since December.
“That’s not a small number…Robberies, house break-ins, and murders have escalated to levels which are beyond one small police station to manage. It’s just ridiculous. At first, it was our clinics and then it went from clinics to schools. Now these are two of our basic essential services that are necessary for a community to thrive and now they have come under threat.”
Nkevu said at a number of the targeted clinics, staff members were held hostage at gunpoint while the robbers took laptops and cellphones.
“They come armed with guns, they don’t wear masks! They don’t come from far, they come from our very own community. I don’t know of a clinic that has never been robbed. There is even a rehabilitation clinic which was forced to close down due to several robberies. Staff members felt like it was enough, so they packed up and left…and as soon as they left, do you know what happened to that building? It got vandalized! Now it’s sitting there as a ghost clinic.”
Nkevu says three schools had also recently been targeted by brazen, gun-wielding criminals, who went so far as to hijacking school principals.
Nkevu claims that young men from KwaNobuhle are behind the ongoing attacks and are known to the community.
“It’s a particular group of youngsters. We are not talking about people in their 30s, we are looking at robbers who are between the ages of 17 and 22. The community knows about these people, the neighbours know about their neighbours…parents know what their children are doing…In each and every area, people know that they have a certain group of youngsters who are involved in certain crimes but no one is coming forward. The more silent they are, the worse it becomes for the community.”
He said that the fear of victimisation was forcing residents to keep their lips sealed.
Sadly, Nkevu said that the majority of those who had lost their lives in recent months were also young people.
“It’s teenagers, young boys of school-going age, they die, they get killed. You are looking at kids who should be at home or at school but now they are in the grave. These are people who are supposed to succeed us, but they die because somebody recruits them to get involved in these criminal activities and murders and they get killed.”
Nkevu runs a 24-hour WhatsApp group, or helpline, as he refers to it. Residents use this tool to report crimes or as a lifeline when immediate help is needed, and residents can’t afford to wait for police to respond.
Nkevu lost his home in an apparent arson attack several years ago but said he could not afford to let fear and emotions get in the way of helping people, adding that no amount of threats would stop him from standing up against crime.
Nkevu now believes that because of the living conditions in KwaNobuhle, residents are not motivated to vote in the upcoming elections.
“To be honest, people feel quite let down. You are not voting for the change that you want. You are voting for your life to become worse. Why would we do that? That’s the general feeling here because every time we vote, things are not getting better.”
Nkevu said the community was not very hopeful that their safety situation will improve.
“You can only have such wishes when there is still hope… All that hope is gone… people don’t know anymore. It’s dead.”
One KwaNobuhle resident agreed: “I’m not going to vote because I don’t see any changes. Crime is rife and nothing is being done about that. Secondly, we’re unemployed graduates sitting at home. We’re over 35 years old and unemployable. Our community is dirty, so why should I vote. I don’t see myself voting.”
Another woman said that she has had enough of politicians who fail to keep their promises.
“I don’t see myself voting. I’m 40 years old and never worked in my life. Even with work opportunities in my area, it’s always the same people benefitting. Secondly, I’m tired of empty promises from politicians. Most of them are only looking out for themselves, there’s just a lot, especially here in Kariega. Everything is rotten, it’s about time we have leadership changes.”
While a third resident shared the sentiment that their circumstances probably won’t change, she still plans to head to the polls next Wednesday.
“I’m going to vote, but voting doesn’t do anything for us because we’re unemployed and sitting at home. But this won’t stop me from voting.”
-EWN
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