The ANC local leader was speaking during the handing out of food parcels at Louisville near Lily Mine in Mpumalanga’s Barberton area.
ANC ward 30B branch chairman Elphus Vilakati has said that it was shocking how incidents of rape and murder have increased in the area.
Vilakati was speaking during the hand over of more than 100 food parcels to the families of the three Lilly Mine workers who were swallowed inside a container when the mine collapsed a year ago.
The parcels were being given by the cops and Gift of the Givers.
“Serious crimes have been committed lately,” Vilakati said.
“A child was raped early this morning and the police are dealing with the matter.
“Rape and murder seems to be an in thing in this form,” he said.
He added that they recently reported cases of women who were mysteriously murdered but there were no outcomes of the reported cases.
Over a thousand people were left jobless since the collapse on 5 February 2016.
Vilakati also stated that there were incidents of dagga dealers killing each other in the area.
The event was attended by Mpumalanga police boss Lieutenant-General Bethuel Zuma, MEC for community safety Pat Ngomane and representatives from Gift of the Givers.
Zuma told the mine-workers that the community of Louisville needed to work together in the fight against crime.
“We will fight the crime in this area,” he said.
“We don’t like what is happening because at the end of the day our children suffer.
“We need to work together to build a solid community, let’s not turn this situation to hurt other people,” the cop boss said.
“Let us work together so we can change our situation,” he said.
The event came just a day after Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza visited the community of Louisville and promised to deliver 1000 houses.
SEE HERE: Mabuza wants 1000 RDP houses for Lily Mine residents
(edited by BM)
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