LUCAS NTYINTYANE | Diepsloot a Molotov cocktail of unemployment, poverty, guns and alcohol

Diepsloot is in the news again. For the wrong reasons. The violence in Diepsloot is like the one in Israel/ Palestine, it is permanent and comes in cycles.  Peace is temporary. Can it ever be eradicated ? 

There are no easy answers to the complex problem of violence in Diepsloot. It is such a tragic case. One lady told me that as a woman you have to wear jeans, track pants and tights at night. Why? In case someone tries to rape you, they will struggle to remove your clothes . When clothes become a weapon to protect yourself, what is freedom? When young girls cannot be themselves in case they attract the wrong attention, you are no different to a prisoner. 

I have asked myself, is it poverty? What is driving this anger and self-hatred? What would Steve Biko say when black people are maiming and killing each other? 

Can we blame the government for what is happening in Diepsloot? December is the worst month. As a doctor, December reveals the ugly side of humans. 

Go to Livingstone Hospital and Dora Nginza in Port Elizabeth, Cecilia Makiwane in East London , Pelonomi in Bloemfontein, Tembisa Hospital, Kimberley Hospital , King Edward in Durban, Groote Schuur in Cape Town. You see the same violence-related injuries. Blood is everywhere. Trauma units are overflowing with alcohol-fuelled problems . 

By January 15, 2024, more than 2,000 lives will have been lost. They are not dead because of cancers or heart disease. Their unfortunate demise could have been prevented. It is due to alcohol-related violence and injuries. Why do we lose all form of sanity in December? It is like a car going down a hill without brakes. 

I never thought it is easier to get an unlicensed gun than to get a loaf of bread until I came to Gauteng. The number of gun-related injuries and deaths are mind numbing. Every night you get a gunshot victim. Where do they get these guns?

Diepsloot is the worst. Life is cheap.

The Molotov cocktail of unemployment, poverty, guns and alcohol are the reason we can never eradicate the violence in Diepsloot. Add illegal immigrants to the mix. You have a perfect bomb ready to explode . 

The modus operandi of those behind the violent crime sprees in Diepsloot never changes .

It is a group of young men who only appear at night from nowhere. They have guns and knives. 

Their aim is not to rob but kill. If you are a woman, they will rape and kill you. They are ruthless. I don’t know why crime intelligence has failed to identify them. 

The same crime intelligence that is good at fighting ANC battles. If crime intelligence is the Achilles heel of our security services, then the police won’t be able to do their job.

The second question is for black communities and families. Why are townships the most dangerous areas? 

Why are communities not protecting their areas from criminals? These criminals are not aliens from space. They are known to the community. Communities must help the police. If black areas are declared dangerous, which tourist will visit? 

What about the B& Bs and other tourist attractions in the townships? 

How will they earn an income if no one visits. The image of townships as criminal dens has to change. My appeal this December is please stop flooding our trauma units with alcohol-related injuries. 

Don’t drink and drive. Stay at home with your family. Unless you want to be part of the 2,000 statistics that won’t see 2024.