The recent surge of mass murders on the Cape Flats has left families in mourning and prompted demands for decisive action against the escalating gang violence gripping multiple communities.
In response, the Mitchells Plain Community Police Forum (CPF), alongside local SAPS and various community stakeholders, hosted a roundtable discussion on Saturday (26 October) to address gangsterism in the area.
Speaking on VOC’s News Beat show, CPF Chairman Norman Jantjies said that the roundtable was held to develop a tailored strategy to counter gang activity in Mitchells Plain.
“The dialogue was well attended by various community organizations, and we identified some of the challenges,” said Jantjies.
“We came up with several possible solutions, which we will refine through workshops within the community and present in a final strategy to government.”
Among the primary challenges identified were the rampant illegal gun trade and the dangerous impact of parolees returning to the community.
“The proliferation of guns in our area is a major problem, and many weapons used in these crimes are stolen or illegal,” Jantjies explained.
“Another challenged that was flagged was parolees, when certain individuals are released from prison you can see a surge in gang violence taking place because it now becomes a territory and many of these shootings are actually orchestrated from inside of prison.”
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: Supplied
