Fed up with the rampant crime taking place in their area, the community of Shanzha in the Nzhelele area took to the streets on Wednesday, showing their disapproval of crime in the area.

In their hundreds they boarded buses to the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Courts, where two men accused of a spate of housebreakings and other crimes were to appear. The two, Tshavhuyo Tshimuka (31) and Rudzani Maguvhe, later appeared in court.

The two are alleged to have terrorised the community, targeting Somali shops in the villages of Fondwe, Tshavhalovhedzi and Dopeni. They are also alleged to have broken into houses, stealing household goods. After their arrest, police managed to recover some of the stolen goods.

Community leader Rolani Masindi said the community was fed-up with crime and they just wanted to put the message across to the justice system. “We are tired of the anarchy caused by thugs. We are here to make a statement to the authorities that they should not even consider giving bail to the suspects. Thugs have been terrorising us for a long time and each time they have committed crime, they come back to the community.”

He said the alleged thieves had graduated to be big criminals who now carry dangerous weapons. “We are no longer safe in this community and if they are granted bail, they must just know that they will not be welcomed in this village. They have to go somewhere else as we cannot guarantee their safety here,” he said.

The village’s traditional leader, Chief Neckson  Shavhani, urged all to be united in the fight against crime. “All we want is a crime-free village where one can sleep outside with open gates, without fear of being attacked by thugs. We are now urging all residents to notify their neighbours if they are away from home. Very soon, we will be launching a street watch, which will serve to secure our village,” he said.