A 38-year-old driver in Umhlanga died after being shot by a criminal gang on Monday night along Lighthouse Road. Police have now begun an investigation to track down the murder suspects. The breakdown of law and order and the assumption of local economic power by armed gangs paints a bleak picture. This is true both for the city of Durban and the country as a whole.
His (the driver’s) wounded passenger was rushed to hospital. Police say the motive for the shooting is under investigation. A local councillor says crime in Umhlanga is becoming alarming. Nicole Bollman says there are a number of issues, including the open brandishing of firearms and illegal trading, that are causing chaos in the town. “It is not just the shooting and just a restaurant. It is sort of an accumulation of complete lawlessness currently and that they are not dealing with. I have requested on several occasions the head of a metro, the city manager and the mayor to convene a meeting.”
The crime in Umhlanga is reaching new heights. It is time the municipal council address the matter of the gang wars in the area alongside the Mayor, the City Manager and other municipal officials. Municipal Councillor Bollman is right to warn against the hike in crime in that area. The local administration must increase South African police patrols in crime-plagued areas like Umhlanga at night. Gang violence over business territory like the restaurant cannot be allowed to flourish. As technology evolves so too must the methods of the police in solving and combatting crimes. CCTV cameras should be erected around Umhlanga streets and those caught carrying out criminal acts should face a prosecution.
A wounded man is now fighting for his life in hospital while his friend or acquaintance is dead. Meanwhile in Glencoe and Dundee, residents are becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of feedback and assistance over water outages. Ward 7 Councillor Saleem Abdool has raised concerns over water outages. `1
According to Abdool, areas including Burnside Road, Upper Biggar Street and Nehru Road have been severely affected, with some residents reportedly without water since last week. “Burnside Road has had no water since last week. The last water residents received came from a tanker,” Abdool said. He added that concerns and a list of issues had already been forwarded to officials at Umzinyathi District Municipality, as well as the office of the Endumeni Speaker, but no formal response had been received. “I have had no feedback and have also requested the minutes of the meeting. It is very tough on communities in these affected areas,” he said.
The water outages in the areas of Glencoe and Dundee are a cause for major concern and shows there is more that has to be done. 1z Service Delivery is a cohesive programme of cooperation between the national, provincial and local levels of government. The lack of delivering basic services such as water is another matter that can lead to break down of law and order as desperation in such circumstances leads to crime. The municipality must launch a legal inquiry about their failure to improve the deliverance of basic services such as water to destitute areas of eThekwini region. The city must address the cause of the water outages in the areas concerned as soon as possible.
Organized crime cannot be allowed to manifest itself in the areas concerned.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
