Romania Kistensamy

Two Brothers were shot and killed this week in Shallcross, Durban. The motive for the killing of the 2 men is unclear as police continue their investigations. Shallcross residence are furious and have stated that serious crimes such as murder have been on the rise during the last few years.

Sagie Naidoo, a resident of the area is disturbed by the recent events.

“It is very shocking that murder has become a common occurrence in the community. I have resided here for over 30 years. It was uncommon to hear of anyone being murdered in the area. However, during the past 5 years I know of at least 10 cases, including the tragic death of nine-year-old Sadia Sukhraj who was killed in a botched hijacking,” he said.

According to Naidoo, residents of Shallcross have become soft targets because of a lack of policing in the area.

“Shallcross doesn’t have its own police station. We rely on SAPS Chatsworth. I believe that they are under resourced. I believe that Shallcross has grown and requires its own police station and policing resources,” said Naidoo.

David Qwabe, owner of MK Protection Services has been assisting residents in Shallcross with private security services believes that crime prevention requires a team approach.

“There is no doubt that the community of Shallcross is affected by crime. However, certain streets have taken it upon themselves to be proactive and to engage with law enforcement and private security to keep their areas safe and secure. Through crime forums, increased visibility by homeowners hiring guards as well as greater communication and cooperation we can reduce crime in the area. In fact, by implementing a zero-tolerance approach to crime we have seen a massive reduction in certain areas,” he said.

Qwabe also noted the willingness of the Shallcross community to get involved in crime prevention.

“Shallcross is a community that is always willing to help and are extremely proactive in crime prevention. It is up to law enforcement to meet them with their same enthusiasm. After the latest shooting incident we will be engaging much more with the community and possibly deploying more resources to the area,” concluded Qwabe.

Picture: tcl.edu