Sterkfontein village reels from grisly discovery, community calls for increased police presence
STERKFONTEIN
A shocking discovery has sent shockwaves through Sterkfontein Village community in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality (EMLM), after a naked body was found dumped in the mountains near the village, sparking widespread concern about safety and security in the area.
According to Cllr Herbert Radingoana, a community leader in the village, the gruesome find was made by community members who immediately informed him about the discovery, and he promptly alerted the Motetema Police Station.
The victim was later identified as William Magolego from Tafelkop Village, a few kilometres from Sterkfontein.
“We are not safe anymore. At midnight, there are cars coming in and out, and it is clear that the body was dumped in our area because there is no police visibility at any point in time,” said Radingoana.
Radingoana expressed frustration that the lack of police presence in the area has emboldened criminals.
“Our area is not taken seriously. That is why I encourage the community to open cases so that when we write to the Provincial Commissioner’s office requesting police patrols, it reflects the number of criminal activities taking place in our village,” he said.
Radingoana added that to fight criminal activities, the community has created a chat group, “Badudi Ba-GaMakutuza,” to share challenges and concerns.
Radingoana believes that increased police patrols would help curb the rising crime wave, which includes house robberies and livestock thefts.
According to Radingoana, in recent incidents, robbers have used burning substances to knock out residents during house robberies, making off with laptops and cellphones.
“Over 10 families have reported stolen livestock, but no action has been taken,” he said.
Radingoana urged the community to report all incidents to the police, emphasizing that a visible police presence is crucial to restoring safety in Sterkfontein Village.
“The Motetema Police Station is aware of the situation; however, we hope that increased community reporting will prompt a more robust response from authorities,” he said.
