Moagi wa Jouberton - The community is held hostage by gangs and this has been going on for too long. Gangs have brought terror to the community even the Jouberton SAPS proved to be incapable to restoring and upholding law and order in the community, and one would think that they allow lawlessness to prevail. Our local economy is very bad and unable to create much needed jobs because investors cannot invest in Jouberton due to 30% extortion from any developmental project to be implemented in Jouberton.
This is setting our community for under-development and chaos. Last year a project to fix all township roads was halted by gangs because the gang wanted to benefit financially and wanted to extort 30% of the project financing from the contractor. As a result, our roads are still in bad conditions and residents have to endure these conditions while these gangs are roaming the streets as gods. On August 4 a project to rebuild a petrol garage on Phelindaba Drive has been stopped because members of Boko haram gang demands 30% from the project. This project has a potential to create jobs for the residents of Jouberton in the construction phase and beyond when the garage becomes operational.
A project to install Herotel infrastructure in ward 12 has been hijacked by Al-Qaida gang, they recruit the workforce and subject it to exploitation with unlawful wage deductions that every worker’s wages are cut to half and that portion is taken by the gang. Building infrastructures i.e. Old Choppies complex which are meant for businesses and generate jobs are rotting with no hope for development.
This was once a vibrant complex with shopping centre, banks and other services before it was looted in 2017 and many residents were working in that facility. Spaza shops continue to be made to pay protection fees by the same gangs who in turn rob them. The residents of Matlosana are still silent when they continue to be scammed at ATM’s by the same gangs.
Are these gangs the only bona fides of our township who have self-entitlement to 30%, and what about the rest of the young people and law-abiding residents in Jouberton? As a concerned resident of Matlosana, this is a call to all the residents of Jouberton, Matlosana Municipality Mayor, Jouberton SAPS Station commander, SAPS Provincial Commissioner, and NW Province Premier to swiftly intervene to the challenge we are facing in Matlosana of gangs and their terrorism. Efforts to end gang terror were made before but were temporary, we request permanent solutions. Let’s all stand up and combat this anarchy, lawlessness, and crime that sets our community backward.
