Approximately 10 people held a picket outside the Mayor’s office in Cape Town this afternoon, calling on the Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille to answer a memorandum that was handed over to her office two months ago.

On the 6th of February the collective, under the banner of #GangsterismMustFall, issued the memorandum in the hopes that there will be a quick response from government. Last night the City of Cape Town did respond to the collective, but this was not the response that they were looking for.

Roscoe Jacobs, convener of the collective assumes that they had only received this response last night because the mayor’s office found out about the picket that will be held today.

“When it comes to the stakeholders that are involved in the issues that we feel need to be addressed to address issues of gangsterism, the City of Cape Town are the stakeholders that aren’t coming to the party so today we are here to ensure that they are aware that as communities we feel that they have a responsibility and a role to play,” explained Jacobs.

“Last night we did receive a response from the mayor’s office, but sadly it was not from the mayor herself, but from an official within the office and I think it shows the disregard that the mayor’s office has when it comes to issues relating to gangsterism.”

The Mayor was not able to witness the picket either as she was hosting the first official meeting between her and the new Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Khombinkosi Jula in Gugulethu.

In her speech, the Mayor said that communities should come together in neighbourhood watch groups in order to guard their communities, but members of the #GangsterismMustFall collective feel that the government and police can do more to protect communities from gang violence.

Roegshanda Pascoe from the Manenberg safety forum says that they blame the national government because she says that they are not adhering to the call of the people.
“The resources are there to stop gang violence and in fact, prevent gang violence, the city must stop giving houses to gangsters to stay in our communities; we as the Manenberg safety forum are saying no bail to those who are caught in the act of gang violence.”

The collective said that they will continue to protest and picket until the City of Cape Town responds to their demands. Their end goal is to rid the greater Cape Town area of gangs and the violence created by gangs.

VOC [Umarah Hartley]