Khayelitsha neighbourhood watch member killed while on patrol

A neighbourhood watch member was gunned down in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, on Saturday night, 18 January. He was patrolling the area in his full patrol gear when criminals shot him.

Monwabisi Mkhutshulwa (49) was killed at about 11pm on Friday, 17 January, when a group of neighbourhood watch members came across a group of men who were standing on the corner of Ezimfeneni Street in the Nkanini informal settlement in Makhaza.

This is according to Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie.

News24 reported that gunshots were heard and that Mkhutshulwa was hit in the shoulder and leg. ‘He fell to the ground and succumbed to injury. A murder docket was registered for further investigation surrounding the circumstances of the incident and to bring those responsible to book,’ Pojie told the publication.

The Khayelitsha sub-district’s community policing forum (CPF) has condemned Mkhutshulwa’s killing.

Funeka Soldaat, CPF chairperson in the Khayelitsha sub-district, told News24 that Mkhutshulwa’s death is a ‘stark reminder’ of how patrol members risk their lives while on duty trying to keep communities safe from crime.

Soldaat said the incident was also a reminder of the efforts criminals will go through to get rid of those trying to fight crime.

‘We are reminded that while safety structures try their level best to reduce crime in our communities with limited resources, the criminals on the other hand, are working 24/7 to try and undermine those efforts of crime-fighting,’ said Soldaat.

‘This is a challenge for us as society to unite against crime, as criminals are united in making our communities a horror to live in. One killed crime fighter is a serious reversal of the gains that have been made in the recent past to keep our communities in Khayelitsha safe,’ Soldaat added in the News24 report.

In response to Mkhutshulwa’s death, Soldaat has called on the SAPS to work on finding the culprits responsible for his death.

‘As the Khayelitsha sub-district CPF, we call upon all law enforcement resources to be mobilised to get to the bottom of this case and [have the] culprits brought to book for this heinous crime committed against the crime-fighting community in Khayelitsha as a whole. This case should be treated with the high-level importance it deserves,’ said Soldaat.

‘This must strengthen our crime-fighting spirit [rather] than dampen it, as the sole purpose of these criminals is to strike fear within crime-fighting structures,’ Soldaat added.

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Picture: Reuters