By Kouthar Sambo
The leader of the National Coloured Congress (NCC) and recently appointed Member of Parliament (MP), Faadil Adams, has been a huge advocate for mitigation strategies for the eventual eradication of increased shootings and overall violence in poverty-stricken areas.
Adams has called for an urgent meeting around the increased shootings unfolding on the Cape Flats, which claimed the lives of numerous youths. The meeting is set to place on Thursday (4 July) from 6:30 pm at Montrose Park Recreation Centre in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town.
Speaking on VOC’s PM Drive show on Wednesday, Adams said gang violence has never been a policing issue, but a community issue.
“Police come after the fact but we need to be proactive and this is what we want to teach communities – not just be frustrated, but to step up and take the bull by the horns. We cannot wait for the government anymore since the government has left the building,” remarked Adams.
“The shooters and victims are getting younger and the community needs to participate in working towards the decrease of shootings as a collective effort. We know who the killers are – we know who the drug dealers are – and we know where the guns are hidden. The time is now,” he stressed.
Adams further noted the “trust deficit” between the community and the South African Police Service (SAPS), saying that the distrust has been earned by the SAPS.
“We need to restore this trust between SAPS and the communities by coming up with our own initiatives because what is supposed to be working, is not working. The return on investment is poor, given where the funds are currently being spent.”
Adams highlighted the importance of community meetings, ensuring everyone is on the same page regarding escalated violence in the Cape flats. He added that “more than meetings, action needs to be taken.”
He elaborated on the government’s role in serving as a contributing factor in the lack of progress to decrease the escalated shootings on the Cape flats. According to Adams, the government has “exacerbated the criminal underworld.”
“Where are the recreational programs and employment opportunities and why have they been taken away from our communities? If anything, the government has allowed the criminal underworld to flourish in the communities, thus requiring ordinary people to step up,” reiterated Adams.
We need to be more than gh***l and become active, he added, because the shooters live in the same streets as those being harmed.
“This is not for the weak and meek because we are at the stage where we have to find the necessary courage to deal with this crisis moving forward since it is our sons and daughters that are all walking targets.”
Furthermore, Adams, with a reformed history of gangsterism, has come under immense criticism for his recently appointed role as MP. This comes as some have predicted he would neglect his role in the community as the fight against gangsterism and violence persists.
“Everybody is discussing my salary, it is the talk of social media. I can take my family and move anywhere I want, and be safe. But I have made a decision not to forsake my community as I will live in the same house that I have been living in. This is our fight, it is all of us,” asserted Adams.
Photo: Parliament of the Republic of South Africa/Facebook
