Chair, last week in Ladybrand a woman was gang-raped by five men alleged to be members of the B & R gang. These criminals remain at large. A 79-year-old woman was also raped last week and the perpetrators are still unknown. On Friday, 6 March, a man was mugged and stabbed in Ladybrand. The muggers were arrested, but immediately released because the knife that was in their possession did not have blood on it. The residents of Ladybrand at Manyatseng are now living in fear.
What is of great concern to the DA is that the SA Police Service appear to be unable to deal with this crime spike. Where are the investigators? Where are the swift arrests that these awful crimes demand?
Gangsterism has the potential to destroy the social and moral fabric of our youth. I urge the Minister of Police to act against gangsterism. The Minister cannot sit back and hope that the police are able to act when South Africa knows that they are not.
Please, people have the right to live in safety. Our Constitution guarantees this. Ladybrand has become an example of how controlling crime in South Africa seems to be the last of the competencies of the SAPS. Thank you.