The Social Justice Coalition (SJC) has called for an inquiry into the “structural inefficiencies” that limit police in Khayelitsha. The coalition handed over a memorandum to SAPS officials at the Khayelitsha police station this week, following the questionable service offered to the family of 21 year old Sinoxolo Mafevuka who was found raped and murdered in a communal toilet in the informal settlement earlier this month.

The coalition’s Chumile Sali says media reports highlighted the differing responses from SAPS to the tragic rape and murder of two young teenage women, one, Mafevuka and the other, Franziska Blochliger (16) and told a tale of two cities.

It is unfortunate that tragedies like these have been enlisted to draw attention to the known spatial inequalities that exist and persist in Cape Town,” Sali explained.

The coalition remains critical of the Deputy Minister of Police, Maggie Sotyu’s visit to the Mafevuka family following damning reports that police failed to follow proper protocol in the case of Sinoxolo. Sali claims that Sotyu’s visit would unfortunately not have happened if Blochliger murder did not highlight the visible difference in services received from SAPS.

The coalition now calls on government to identify the need for resources in areas with high level of crimes. Sali says a move to resolve the issue would be to take resources from affluent areas where crime is uncommon and distribute it to areas where it is needed more.

“SAPS is failing and they are inefficient. We now have to report crimes to the media first for it to get enough attention from SAPS. This is an insult to black people living in townships,” Sali continued.

The Deputy Minister of Police could not be reached for comment, despite a scheduled interview.

VOC (Ra’eesah Isaacs)