Police minister Bheki Cele says the police will not only come down hard on criminals in Diepsloot but also the people who rent them places to stay.

The minister and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola visited the township in Gauteng on Wednesday.

This comes after hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Diepsloot to protest against crime, corruption and an alleged lack of policing on immigration laws.

The protest was ignited by the murders of seven people in the area at the weekend, which residents alleged were at the hands of illegal immigrants. 

Addressing residents in the area in isiZulu, Cele said the police will hold a meeting with leaders in the area on Friday to discuss a way forward in dealing with criminals.

“We will not only deal with criminals but also those who are renting out places to them to stay in and find out why they are allowing criminals to rent their places,” he said.

Criminals, regardless of their nationality, would be “dealt with accordingly”, he added.

Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi and small business minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams will be present at the meeting to discuss immigration and employment.

Cele said community members would have to work together with the police.

“If communities raise issues and put those things on the table, as management and the ministry, we have to act on those matters. But we have to go deep on it, investigate and work with the community to give us real facts.”

TimesLIVE