Residents of a North West village want Zimbabweans out of their neighbourhood after they held a man they accused of stealing copper cables hostage the whole night.
Now residents of Mokgola village near Zeerust have vowed to evict all Zimbabweans from their village.
The man who cannot be named until his first court appearance was allegedly part of a syndicatestealing copper cables. It is alleged the cables are a crucial ingredient in the making of pots.
Villagers say they were tired of living without electricity because of the copper cable thefts.
According to Zeerust police station commander Emmanuel Kalagobe, they have registered 21 cases of copper cable theft from the same village in the past month. Villagers say they had decided to form patrol parties in order to catch the cable thieves, as they felt police were not interested.
They first arrested four Zimbabwean nationals, who were found with pots and copper cables.
The four were then handed over to the police. Around 2am Tuesday residents on patrol saw a man cutting copper cables allegedly stolen from a house in the village. The group then approached the man and apprehended him.
They kept him near the tribal office until dawn when a community meeting was called.
Residents believe the copper thieves work in a syndicate with the pot makers in the area.
"We're tired. I don't have electricity because of these people; they steal from us and sell us pots made from the copper cables stolen from our homes," said one of the villagers Toko Konyana.
Zimbabwean national Rodgers Moyana said he might be forced to leave the village.
"I don't like what most of the Zimbabweans are doing in this village but I'm not one of them. Now the villagers want us all out," he said.
Moyana, a carpenter, said he only came to South Africa for business.
"I am owed by the same people who want to chase me away. They must pay me first," he said.
Another Zimbabwean Darlington Mapiko said he came to South Africa because of the poverty in Zimbabwe.
"I cannot steal from the people who are putting food on my table.
"I sell clothes and steel basins. I'm not a thief."
Kalagobe praised the community for the arrest and urged them to work even closely with the police to combat crime.
"What you did was okay; we are happy because you did not assault him. Now let the law take its cause," he said.
All five Zimbabwean nationals are expected to appear before the Zeerust Magistrate's Court soon.
tshehleb@sowetan.co.za
Villagers want to evict cable thieves
Residents of a North West village want Zimbabweans out of their neighbourhood after they held a man they accused of stealing copper cables hostage the whole night.
Now residents of Mokgola village near Zeerust have vowed to evict all Zimbabweans from their village.
The man who cannot be named until his first court appearance was allegedly part of a syndicatestealing copper cables. It is alleged the cables are a crucial ingredient in the making of pots.
Villagers say they were tired of living without electricity because of the copper cable thefts.
According to Zeerust police station commander Emmanuel Kalagobe, they have registered 21 cases of copper cable theft from the same village in the past month. Villagers say they had decided to form patrol parties in order to catch the cable thieves, as they felt police were not interested.
They first arrested four Zimbabwean nationals, who were found with pots and copper cables.
The four were then handed over to the police. Around 2am Tuesday residents on patrol saw a man cutting copper cables allegedly stolen from a house in the village. The group then approached the man and apprehended him.
They kept him near the tribal office until dawn when a community meeting was called.
Residents believe the copper thieves work in a syndicate with the pot makers in the area.
"We're tired. I don't have electricity because of these people; they steal from us and sell us pots made from the copper cables stolen from our homes," said one of the villagers Toko Konyana.
Zimbabwean national Rodgers Moyana said he might be forced to leave the village.
"I don't like what most of the Zimbabweans are doing in this village but I'm not one of them. Now the villagers want us all out," he said.
Moyana, a carpenter, said he only came to South Africa for business.
"I am owed by the same people who want to chase me away. They must pay me first," he said.
Another Zimbabwean Darlington Mapiko said he came to South Africa because of the poverty in Zimbabwe.
"I cannot steal from the people who are putting food on my table.
"I sell clothes and steel basins. I'm not a thief."
Kalagobe praised the community for the arrest and urged them to work even closely with the police to combat crime.
"What you did was okay; we are happy because you did not assault him. Now let the law take its cause," he said.
All five Zimbabwean nationals are expected to appear before the Zeerust Magistrate's Court soon.
tshehleb@sowetan.co.za
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