Imraahn Mukaddam has suddenly resigned as deputy chairman of the Elsies River Community Policing Forum (CPF) following the murder of Courtney Pieters, three.
The Cape Flats activist, who exposed bread industry price-fixing, stepped down on Tuesday, saying he cannot live with his conscience after police failed Courtney.
“I have handed in my resignation and the reason for that is because I cannot live with my conscience knowing we failed the family of Courtney Pieters,” he says.
“As a structure within the community, my conscience does not allow me to speak out on the failure of police to handle the matter properly.
“They bungled this investigation and because we took nine days to find the body of Courtney and the perpetrator was so close to the family, he was able to manipulate the investigation.”
Mukaddam, who is vocal about gang violence in Elsies River, says it’s time the community rebuilt its structures.
He says the current CPF of Elsies River is politically hijacked.
“Our organisation has been hijacked by political interference. I cannot be party to that. I will remain active and passionate about change in my community in whatever way possible, but cannot do that within the current structure because it’s too constraining.
“I am not allowed to speak out about the police being a part of this structure. Being freed from that hurdle I can now speak with an open conscience,” Mukaddam says.