PRISONERS are allegedly terrorising residents of Gugulethu in Cape Town, and they want the government to do something about it.
They said cops did their job, arrested the criminals and removed them from the streets, but they're still able to organise crime even from behind bars.
Residents said extortion rings that have terrorised their kasi are operated by someone who is in prison.
They said this during a Ministerial Crime Prevention Imbizo on Saturday, 20 April, at JL Zwane Church in Gugulethu.
Police Minister Bheki Cele, justice and constitutional development deputy minister John Jeffery, and police deputy minister Cassel Mathale, among other government officials, attended the meeting.
Community leader Owethu Tshengu from Kanana informal settlement said they are terrorised by people who are in jail.
“Those in prisons have cellphones to organise crime while behind bars. The mastermind of extortion is in prison, but nothing is being done. We keep on blaming the police, but these people are in jail.
“How can you take a murderer and put them inside the jail, but that same murderer is still operating outside? Why can’t we craft policies to ensure that inmates don’t have internet? The issue of cellphones you cannot deal with it you have failed. Can’t you deal with the issue of the network?” Owethu said.
Another resident, Nwabisa Zama from New Rest informal settlement, said they've had enough of being mugged on the streets.
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Another resident from Barcelona's informal settlement in Gugulethu said a man who was selling chicken feet was killed for a protection fee.
“These criminals are brutal. They don’t care what you are selling. All they want is money. A man was murdered in broad daylight while he was at his chicken feet business in September 2023.
"This was because he didn’t have money to pay the extortionists,” claimed a resident.
Jeffery said he spoke to Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, the national commissioner of Correctional Services, about organised crimes at Mzansi prisons.
“I did speak to the national commissioner of Correctional Services, who said that people who are known to be involved in organised crime and gangs are screened before coming into the correctional facilities, and they place special attention to them so that they are not able to communicate with people from outside,” said Jeffery.
On the issue of cellphones in prison, Jeffery said it was difficult to disconnect networks from prisons because when the signal for cellphones is disconnected, it also disconnects emergency numbers.
“That's why the signals are not blocked. Inmates are not meant to have phones. If they are found, they are confiscated,” he added.
Cele told residents that he sometimes receives calls from inmates telling them about crimes that are about to happen.
He said in most cases, the information proved to be true.
Cele told Deputy Minister Jeffery to do something about the situation.
