Mitchells Plain residents are calling on President Zuma to visit their gang-ridden area where two more people were killed this week.
|||Cape Town - A Cape Flats community is calling on President Jacob Zuma to visit their gang-ridden area where two more people were killed this week.
Abie Isaacs, chairman of the Mitchells Plain Community Police Forum (CPF), said they had invited Zuma to come and see for himself what was happening in the area.
“There were two shootings within a few hours of each other on Monday. The CPF is looking at making formal request for other security such as law enforcement, metro police, the police and the Department of Correctional Services to jointly work together on the gang violence,” said Isaacs.
“We want President Zuma to come and see what’s happening in Mitchells Plain and use his mandate to have all departments work together on the issue.”
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed that two people died and one was injured in separate shootings in Mitchells Plain.
“On Monday at 1.20pm, an 18-year-old man was shot and killed in Benfica Street, Tafelsig, by unknown suspects.
“At 5.20pm, a 21-year-old man was shot and killed in Twickenham Crescent, Beacon Valley. During the same incident, a female in her twenties was also wounded,” said Traut.
On the same day, two women were injured in separate shootings in Manenberg, while a 36-year-old man was shot and killed in Bunting Crescent, Atlantis. And on Tuesday, a 24-year-old and 30-year-old were shot and injured in Manenberg Avenue as they walked in a group towards Pecos Walk. Both were hit in the right leg.
Community Safety MEC Dan Plato called on the authorities to bring in the defence force to assist in stabilising areas worst affected by gang violence.
“People stress that they cannot continue to live under these circumstances,” said Plato.
“They feel that the police resources are too stretched to contain and combat violence effectively.
“I support their call for the defence force to intervene.”
Meanwhile, Lavender Hill residents were “gripped by fear” and too scared to talk to police, said Steenberg CPF chairman Kevin Southgate.
“There are continuous shootings in Lavender Hill. Thankfully, no one has been shot since Friday.”
natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za
Cape Argus