Cape Flats communities are living in fear amid ongoing gang and gun violence, as the City said it recorded more than 430 shooting incidents across just four gang areas in the last month.
Cape Flats communities are living in fear amid ongoing gang and gun violence, as the City said it recorded more than 430 shooting incidents across just four gang areas in the last month.
Meanwhile, the SAPS arrested a suspect after they discovered an arms cache and a large quantity of drugs to the value of R3 million in Goodwood.
Police spokesperson Andre Traut, said a routine stop and search procedure by members of the Flying Squad led to the discovery of the arms cache and drugs at the weekend.
“The attention of vigilant Flying Squad members was drawn to a silver Ford double-cab bakkie under suspicious circumstances in Athlone, which prompted them to stop and search the vehicle and the occupant. This search resulted in the discovery of an unlicensed 9mm firearm, drugs and a substantial amount of cash.
“The 28-year-old driver was arrested and interrogated, which led SAPS to an apartment in the Bergzicht complex situated in Goodwood where the search was extended. Here a further 19 firearms of various calibres were found, including an AK-47 assault rifle, a shotgun and other automatic and semi-automatic firearms, as well as an assortment of drugs valued at R3m,” said Traut.
He said they have reason to believe “that the apartment which is leased in the suspect’s name was never used as a residence, but rather a storing facility for the firearms and the drugs”.
More arrests are imminent as the police investigation unfolds.
Chairperson of the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition, Llewellyn MacMaster, said having read a report which detailed that over one week 120 people have been murdered, with more than 90 attempted murders from June 24 to 30, they will now mobilise civil society organisations to ensure the safety of citizens.
“We are tired of police officers turning our people away, or those who disregard our pleas for protection against the gangsters.
“In fact, we believe that the police, both SAPS and the metro police, know they have been overwhelmed and have run out of options to protect people from the gangs and the guns. It is the arming of gangs and the freely available guns that is enabling the extent of the killing,” said MacMaster.
Unabated gang violence in the Grassy Park policing precinct had residents fearing to send their children to school this week, local CPF chairperson Melvin Jonkers said.
“The ongoing gun violence is not only taking lives, but it also causes unnecessary stress to the residents, especially our senior citizens.
“Parents now fear sending their children to school. Regrettably gone are the days when children could be sent to the local shop to buy much-needed bread and milk for the household. These shootings and consequent violence disrupts the way of life in our communities.
“Gun violence can never become the norm in our neighbourhoods.
“The CPF calls on our community to support the police and not hinder the law enforcement agencies to do their work,” said Jonkers.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais said they would work closely with all law enforcement agencies.
“The spike in the number of shootings within the Grassy Park policing precinct is very concerning.
“My heartfelt empathy goes out to the families and friends of the victims. It forms part of the harsh reality of almost 120 murders committed in the Western Cape during the last week of June.
“It shows the urgency of my stated objective to have the number of police officers in the Western Cape increased to the fair number in terms of the census, namely 12% of the national total, which the province should rightly have,” said Marais.
Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said that on Friday evening, law enforcement officers were accosted by a group when they responded to a request for assistance by the SAPS after shootings flared up in Grassy Park.
“It cannot be that these attackers or their actions are not known by others in the community, or that the community itself should continue to suffer the violence of these gangs opposing each other over their turf battles.”
Anyone with information on the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111, or use the MySaps app.
Cape Times