Residents protest in Bokmakerie and Hazendal over police visibility and service delivery

Residents from Bokmakierie and Hazendal in Athlone took to the streets to stage a peaceful protest on Friday, 18 July, voicing frustration over a lack of police visibility, cable theft, poor sanitation, and inadequate service delivery in the area.

Led by the Hazendal Bokmakierie Interim Committee (HBIC), the protest started early in the morning, and saw community members marching to the Athlone police station where they submitted a memorandum of demands.

Protesters held placards with messages such as “Genoeg is genoeg”, “Cable theft”, “Police visibility”, and “Blocked drains”.

Graham Dirks, chairperson of the HBIC, said the protest aimed to highlight community concerns while encouraging cooperation between residents, police, and the City of Cape Town.

“We need to work hand in hand with the City and the police. They are also human. They also have feelings and get emotional. I want us to put ourselves in their shoes at times. We, as the community, are the ears and eyes of the police. I appealed to the community that we do these protests peacefully,” said Mr Dirks.

Quoting former president Nelson Mandela, he added: “Any long journey of a thousand miles starts with a small step.” He described the protest as such a step and thanked the police and the local councillor for attending.

One community member said residents were simply asking for service delivery and protection. She highlighted blocked drains, sewage issues, and ongoing cable theft as major concerns.

Councillor Rashid Adams accepted the memorandum on behalf of the City. He said, “If this is meant for any other department, it will also be delivered to the relevant departments. Once they respond, we will respond to every query. As we get the responses, we will send them to Mr Dirks.”

Athlone police station commander, Colonel Junaid Alcock, said police would review the memorandum and provide feedback. “We will have visibility, and they will see our operations. We will do all our best, especially with the cable theft and the scrapyards that are mentioned in the memorandum,” said Colonel Alcock.

He confirmed that five suspects linked to cable theft are currently in custody. However, he warned against hostility towards the police, noting a recent incident where officers were attacked.

“If police are there for the community, the community needs to protect them and work with them,” he said. He also thanked residents for reporting crimes.

The memorandum included calls for improved security, investigation, and possible closure of scrapyards, and increased patrols at public spaces.

Residents also requested the deployment of LEAP officers at both local primary schools during peak hours (07:00–08:00 and 14:00–15:00), and greater police presence at sports fields, netball courts, and other community areas, especially after hours.

They also demanded City of Cape Town LEAP officer presence at both local primary schools during peak times (in the morning from 7am to 8am , and afternoons from 2pm to 3pm) and increased patrols and visibility at the community’s sports field and netball facilities, and other public gathering points, especially after hours.