Gun violence continues to devastate the Cape Flats, claiming young lives and instilling fear in local communities. Recently, residents of Lavender Hill, Hill View, Seawinds, and Steenberg have witnessed a surge in violent incidents, prompting urgent calls for action.
Over the weekend, multiple reports of heavy gunfire emerged, with suspects allegedly using assault rifles and submachine guns.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast, Lavender Hill community member Mark Ricardo Schrikker described how these attacks have left residents living in constant fear and uncertainty.
“People are being held hostage, and we are living in fear. We don’t know where these gangs are getting their weapons. We hear the sounds of machine guns, and from 8:30 p.m., the shooting begins. People can’t even go to the mosque or church because of all this,” he explained.
Schrikker said the community plans to hold daily pickets at the corner of Hek Road and Prince George Drive to raise awareness and demand action.
“The purpose of the picketing is to create awareness. We want local and national law enforcement agencies to take note that the Cape Flats is bleeding and our kids are dying,” he said.
“Our kids go to school traumatized. Our people go to work traumatized because they don’t know if they’ll make it through the day. Yet, our government does not hear us,” he added.
The community is calling for stronger law enforcement and immediate measures to curb the escalating violence, as residents feel increasingly under siege in their own neighborhoods.
VOC News
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