The community members of Maniini, outside Thohoyandou, have decided enough is enough and they have joined forces with the police in order to clean up the streets of their troubled area.

Following a high incidence of house breaking, robbery and assault cases, the traditional leader, Muofhe Mphaphuli, together with community policing forum members, the South African National Civic Organisation and the youth structures came together to form a structure called Street Committee Against Crime.

The committee was officially launched last Saturday, April 11, at Maniini Primary School.

According to the spokesperson for the Thohoyandou police station, Captain Mashudu Malelo, the decision to form the committee came after police and community organisations realised that there were serious problems in the area. “Maniini became our flashpoint because a high number of reported cases came from there. As police, we felt that we could not manage the crime in the area in our normal operations; hence, we felt that we needed to rope in the community as they were also seriously affected. Besides the CPF, we felt that we needed a special committee to deal with this problem, therefore we formed this one,” said Malelo.

Malelo said the opera-tions will start soon where police and the community will work together on a daily basis. Capt Malelo warned that vigilantism will not be tolerated.

“These who accommodate undocumented citizens of other countries will also be called to account as these are some of the people who cause problems in the area,” says Malelo, while adding that the local municipality of Thulamela will also be involved in a debushing programme to get rid of the areas used by criminals as hide-outs.