It has been months since we as communities on the Wild Coast raised the alarm about a violent crime spree tearing through Xhora Mouth and surrounding villages. On 5 September 2024, over 350 residents from Xhora Mouth marched to Elliotdale Police Station, demanding urgent action.
Despite multiple reports, detailed information on suspects, and clear case numbers provided to the South African Police Services (SAPS), there have been no arrests for the cases in Xhora Mouth, leaving us feeling abandoned. As the festive season approaches and crime is likely to spike, we feel more unsafe than ever.
In Mdumbi, recent arrests brought a glimmer of hope, but even those suspects are now out on bail with the cases likely to take years to run through the courts, raising the pressing question: What must we, as rural communities, do to feel safe?
Since February 2024, a known gang has been responsible for at least six armed robberies, kidnappings, and vehicle thefts across the 20 km stretch between Bulungula and Coffee Bay. The result? We are gripped by fear, livelihoods destroyed, and tourism—the economic backbone of the region—under serious threat. This all forms part of a broader crime wave hitting the region, extending from Mthatha.
Despite these crimes being publicly documented, including national coverage by Carte Blanche, SAPS has failed to take decisive action and make any arrests. We are met with repeated assurances from SAPS that some cases are being handled at the provincial level and “are out of their hands”. They also mention the community’s hesitancy to become informants or witnesses as stumbling blocks to arrests.
However, Gareth Newham, crime and policing expert from the Institute for Security Studies, has dismissed the explanations from SAPS: “All that is needed for SAPS to make an arrest is a signed affidavit from the victim identifying the perpetrator/s,” he told the Equality Collective.
So why has no action been taken? Victims and community members are left wondering: What possible reason could there be for this inaction?
Headman of Nqileni Village, Ntsikelelo Mbangasini, called for a safe festive season in the village: “There are going to be a lot of people coming back home from other cities, as well as tourists…it’s a lot of fun in the village during this time so we want these criminals arrested so that we can enjoy our festive in peace.”
Since the September march, some progress has been made through community engagement with SAPS, including the deployment of a mobile police station and increased patrols to improve visible policing. A Community Policing Forum (CPF) has also been established and trained by SAPS, strengthening local crime prevention initiatives.
However these measures feel superficial without meaningful action. Community members fear these interventions are mere window dressing. Our questions remain unanswered:
● Why haven’t arrests been made?
● What must we as rural communities do to feel safe?
As the festive season approaches—a time for family gatherings, cultural ceremonies, and tourism—the people of Xhora Mouth demand urgent intervention. SAPS and the Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner must act now to arrest the identified suspects and restore safety to the region. They must ensure that specialist investigators are deployed to the region for a period of two years to stabilise the crime in the area, together with the deployment of prosecutors. They must also work together to fast-track these cases with the department of justice.
