The community of Philippi is in the spotlight this week, and the police’s apparent tardiness in two separate incidents is being highlighted by the community.
“I must say that I’m very disappointed in the Philippi SAPS, in their response… I was told that a case was made on Saturday already, and there was no police presence until I physically went there and also called the station commander.”
This is according to Philippi ward councilor, Elton Jansen, in the aftermath of what had happened when two people were mauled to death by dogs in the area, over the weekend.
Jansen says the community was informed that the dogs belonged to a particular property owner there, to which community members responded by vandalizing and looting the property.
According to Jansen, police only responded to the incident on Monday.
He says this slow response speaks to a bigger issue in the Philippi area.
Meanwhile, in another incident in Philippi, an alleged suspect involved in the murder of a woman found in Old Crossroads may have been identified.
The woman’s body was found in a dirt bin on Monday, after residents saw a man wheel the bin onto their premises.
Patrick Mwanda, a community activist in the area, says the mother of the alleged suspect came forward.
Police have yet to confirm details other than the fact that the woman’s body was found, but Mwanda suggests that the incident didn’t even take place in the Philippi area.
“He took the victim and go and drop her in Crossroads, that is what makes the community of Crossroads very angry. This offence was committed in Nyanga, instead he came and dropped the victim in Crossroads to look like this whole thing happened in the area of Crossroads. And, this thing is something that happened not today [on Monday], it happened maybe on Friday, but she was being hidden – because she had a smell, very bad smell.”
