Thousands of congested shacks stand alongside narrow alleys through which police vans can barely fit. Litter is strewn on the streets and the memory of the most recent vigilante killings is still fresh. Welcome to Diepsloot, Johannesburg.

It’s Sunday afternoon and many of Diepsloot’s inhabitants are drinking in public. Children play in the narrow alleys and in backyards.   

According to the SAPS’ second-quarter crime stats for 2023-2024, the Diepsloot Police Station reported the sixth-highest number of murders in Gauteng — 29th in the entire country. Between July and September 2023, 35 people were murdered in Diepsloot — 10 more murders than in the same period in 2022. 

Residents in Diepsloot embarked on a shutdown in April 2022 to end to crime and violence in the area. (Photo: Gallo Images / Papi Morake)

Between July and September 2023, the Diepsloot police station reported the third-highest number of attempted murders in the province — 45, which was 24 more than in the same period in 2022.

Diepsloot was ranked first in the province and second nationally for reports of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Vigilante killings

On Wednesday, five people appeared in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court over the vigilante killings on Saturday of five people who had been accused of committing various crimes in Diepsloot. The five victims were hunted down, burnt and killed. 

Two other men were also killed in vigilante attacks in the area on Friday.

The five accused face five counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, assault to cause grievous bodily harm, malicious injury to property and kidnapping. One of the accused, a Malawian national, faces a charge of contravention of the Immigration Act. The National Prosecuting Authority said it would oppose bail.

The case was postponed to 18 December.

Promises and interventions

While President Cyril Ramaphosa didn’t heed protesters’ calls to visit Diepsloot earlier this year, the area has not been short of visits and promises by government officials to address the rampant crime.

Police Minister Bheki Cele visited Diepsloot in April 2022 after protests following the murders of six people during a crime wave. During his visit, the community made several requests.

They wanted more police officers at the Diepsloot Police Station, permanently visible policing, undocumented migrants to leave the area and the perpetrators of the murderous crime wave to be swiftly arrested. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Diepsloot: Families mourn deaths of loved ones amid rising anger

Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi was killed hours after Cele’s visit. He was beaten and burnt to death by a mob that accused him of criminality.

The police responded by deploying 20 members of the Tactical Response Team and 120 other law enforcement officers in the area. A total of 54 allegedly undocumented immigrants were arrested at the time, but were soon released, according to community members.

The police promised the community the increased police presence would remain until the situation had improved. 

“They only remained for a few days and once the noise had died down, they disappeared without a word. We need to see the police in the community as that evokes a great sense of comfort among terrified community members,” said Philani Sithole, a community member and a relative of one of the five in court this week for the latest vigilante killings.

SAPS speaks

Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela briefs members of the Gauteng Legislature on 12 December 2023 on plans to address crime in Diepsloot. (Photo: Gallo Images / OJ Koloti)

Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela on Tuesday, 13 December blamed the community for harbouring undocumented migrants to whom they rented shacks and business premises.

“We have arrested 758 undocumented people [from April to September 2023], which shows that the police are acting on undocumented people. The majority of community members are the ones harbouring these criminals. In one family, you find that there is a spare room or backyard room and then they rent it to an undocumented person,” Mawela said.

The police said interventions in Diepsloot were based on a three-stage approach involving weekly crime-combating operations on different days.  

Alcohol is said to be a big contributor to crime in Diepsloot and the 12km² area features 147 licensed taverns and many unlicensed ones. Crimes frequently occur between midnight and the early hours when patrons leave taverns.

‘We need a permanent solution’

Lefa Nkala, a Diepsloot community member, said the vigilante killings could have been avoided had the government listened to them and not politicised their grievances.

“If the government’s ignorance continues, we are sitting on a time bomb,” he said.

Another Diepsloot community leader, Loyiso Toyiya, said: “It’s unfortunate when the community have to take the law into their own hands because they are being ignored.”

In June, members of the community and religious organisations marched to the Union Buildings hoping to draw the attention of the Presidency to the rampant crime in Diepsloot.

“We got nothing from our march to the Union Buildings. There were promises made, but while in the middle of discussions, officials disengaged,” Toyiya said.

“The customary deployments do not work any more, we need a permanent solution in Diepsloot.” DM