Spaza shops have been urged to close at 9pm.
Image: Ron AI
A surge in crime in Delft, Cape Town has police calling for the early closure of the local spaza shops.
Continuous gang and gun violence and murders in the area have all residents on high alert.
The violence has become so bad that the local police in Delft are asking spaza shops to close early.
In a notice sent out on social media, reads: "Due to the recent surge in crime and extortion-related killings, we urge all spaza shops in Delft to take necessary precautions to ensure their safety. As a precautionary measure, we request that all spaza shops in Delft close by 9pm daily until further notice.”
The Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said the message was sent out to ensure safety.
The notice sent out.
Image: Supplied
“Be advised that the notice had been disseminated to mainly spaza shops as a precautionary measure and crime prevention initiative to ensure the safety of the shop owners and the community at large who make use of their services,” Pojie said.
He said recent history based on the analysis of crime indicated that spaza shops are frequently targeted by extortionists and robbers alike and sometimes lead to the death of shop owners.
Pojie also highlighted the fact that many community members including children find themselves at the shops late at night at the wrong time.
“The request to close at a specific time is an attempt to mitigate and prevent the prevalence of extortion, murders, robberies, and related crimes in their precinct,” Pojie said.
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