Westlake residents frustrated by stalled murder investigation

Last week, residents marched to Kirstenhof police station demanding better and more community orientated policing.

Fonde, who was 24 years old, did not have relatives in South Africa and Malawians living in Cape Town contributed money to send his body home for burial.

One of the Malawians who helped with arrangements to repatriate Fonde’s body said the police had not questioned Malawians about the murder or kept the community updated. He said a South African had since been robbed and murdered in the area and the same people were suspected of the crime. A Malawian had died when he was run over by a car and the driver had not been arrested, said the man, who did not want to be named.

“Westlake is not safe,” he said.“Police are not doing their job properly.”

He said there were more than five hundred Malawians staying in Westlake. Some had moved out after Fonde’s death but those who had stayed had been in the area for more than 10 years. Their children attended schools in the area or nearby.

Local pastor Thulani Maki said it was difficult for police to investigate Alfred Fonde’s death because people in the community were scared to come forward and testify. Without evidence police could not do anything, he said.

Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson, Geoff Fox, who attended the meeting that took place in March after Fonde’s murder, said a case had not been opened because no-one had come forward to testify.

“It’s unfortunate, there are many cases like that, especially robbery ,when people are afraid to testify,” he said.

He was not aware of the other two deaths but he did know of two major robberies which had not been reported to the police.

“In most cases across South Africa, police stations do not have adequate resources,” Fox said, as the Khayelitsha Commission of Enquiry had highlighted.

Constable Noloyiso Rwexana of SAPS Western Cape Media Centre said Fonde’s murder was still under investigation.