The retreat of the state from everyday life in the continent’s most developed country has widespread consequences, changing the way people think, behave and interact, especially in a time of crisis. It’s a tragedy,” said William Gumede, a respected analyst and academic in Johannesburg. “People have given up on the state as a protector … There is a massive loss of faith. What all share is an almost total lack of faith in South Africa’s government to provide any kind of a solution for their problems. Natasha Msweswe, 42, Zanele Madasi, and Bonelela Mqalo, 54, neighbourhood watch members in Khayelitsha. Many work almost alone, others in NGOs or for wealthy businesses that are now setting aside large sums for philanthropic work. Some teach, secure reliable electricity supplies, organise vaccination drives, repair roads, deliver protective gear to hospitals or distribute water. “We work with the police of course … but if we fold our arms as a community, the criminals will run amok,” said Phindile George, the leader of the Thembokwezi neighbourhood watch, which counts 50 volunteers including Msweswe and Madasi among its members.Īcross South Africa, tens of thousands of people are making similar resolutions. Thembokwezi is more prosperous and safer than much of the rest of the township, and those who live here want to keep it that way. South African police are stretched very thin and so a network of neighbourhood watch organisations play a key role in fighting crime here. Thembokwezi is a neighbourhood of Khayelitsha, a sprawling, overcrowded township overlooked by Table Mountain that has long been infamous for high levels of gang violence, drug abuse and unemployment.
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