Cape Town - Zwelihle residents, community leaders and activists held yet another march to the Hermanus Magistrate’s Court to demand police work around the clock to solve the murder of 21-year-old Sisipho Mayile.
Mayile’s decomposed body was found in the bushes near Camphill Bridge in the tourist town nine days after she went missing on January 16.
Community leader Sindisiwe Mkohli said: “This is the third march we have held pushing for police to update us on this case. It can’t be that months after Sisipho was killed, there has been no progress when police say they are working on it.
“We need to see actual evidence of them working to solve her murder and bring her killers to book. A family are without their daughter, and every day no one is held accountable is excruciating for them.”
Mkohli said rumours had been circulating about residents resorting to vigilantism to mete out justice to people allegedly involved.
“We are against residents resorting to mob justice. We want the law to take its course, so we are encouraging anyone who might have information to come forward and tell the police. We can’t solve a crime with another crime,” he said.
During the march, speaker in the legislature Masizole Mnqasela said he had been pleading with residents to not take the law into their own hands but to instead direct their calls for justice to the police commissioner to push his subordinates to work hard to arrest Mayile’s killers.
Mnqasela said: “In February, during our second march, we said we wanted to get the provincial police commissioner here. We said we want to see the police in Hermanus not be the only officers working on this case because we also do not trust some of them.
“There are many good police officers stationed here, but residents are now sceptical because in the past crimes have been reported, but they have not seen much action from the SAPS.
“Now that we have directly spoken to the commissioner, I do not know what else people should ask for. I do not know whether we work better when people take the law into their own hands.”
Also present at the march was Overstrand mayor Annelie Rabie, who said she believed it should not be necessary for residents to host marches and protests for police to do their work.
“We would like to have a progress report. Have they found anyone, because two people have been arrested and released.
“Today’s march underscores again that no one is above the law. If it is a party or part of an organised crime activity, tell us, so we know what we are dealing with. But trust the community of Overstrand because, with us, we can solve problems,” she said.
A memorandum was handed over to provincial police commissioner Thembisile Patekile, who acknowledged the call for justice.
He urged residents to report GBV cases so police could work around the clock and arrest the perpetrators.
