More resources are needed to combat the gang violence that continues to terrorise Manenberg, says the community police forum.
On Thursday September 28, at about 7.20am, a 36-year-old man was shot dead and a 28-year-old man was wounded in the Gouritz Road park, according to Manenberg police station spokesman Captain Ian Bennett.
This followed the fatal shooting, on Tuesday September 26, of a 47-year-old man who was found with gunshot wounds to his face and upper body in Thames Walk.
On Saturday, a 2-year-old girl was wounded by a stray bullet in First Avenue, Sherwood Park.
“All over Manenberg, different gangs are fighting. It is young people that are fighting. There is also infighting in the Americans gang,” said Captain Bennett.
Manenberg CPF chairwoman Vanessa Adriaanse said there was a gang war between the Hard Livings and Fancy Boys gangs, and pleas for more policing had been ignored because of an under-resourced SAPS.
The shootings had made residents prisoners in their homes, and children had been kept home from school, she said.
“We heard that there were peace talks between the gangs, and I don’t know what went wrong or who did what, but now they are shooting again. It looks like things have worsened. It looks like some of the guys are sending out a message that the gang war is not over anytime soon.”
At a community meeting in Thames Walk on Thursday September 28, the CPF urged residents to take extra precautions to stay safe.
“The whole community is sensitive at the moment. Our kids want to play outside; it’s the holidays,” Ms Adriaanse said.
“We are asking the community to stay vigilant, keep safe and hold onto their faith. We know that the community is unhappy with the way things are going. We need assistance; the area is so sensitive. We feel the area doesn’t have enough manpower. No one knows when they will shoot.
“The extra officers we get now and then are not permanent; they get pulled back. SAPS doesn’t have enough manpower.
“Our neighbourhood watch has no equipment to protect themselves. The community is tired. They are fearful and fed up of this. They feel as if they’re not living. They are tired of being held hostage by gangsters. The more we shout for help, we don’t get it,” she said.
Captain Bennett said that if residents were serious about stopping gang shootings, they needed to report the shooters even if they were family members.
“We need to stop beating around the bush about this. They need to report the shooters to the police.”
Letaba Community Neighbourhood Watch coordinator Elizabeth Hendricks said the watch had reported the dead body in the Gouritz Road park to the police. She added that stone-throwing among children, especially in Elsieskraal Road, was a problem.
“Children from the age of 12 and up are throwing stones, and it is the drop-outs doing it,” she said.
“Some of the parents are with the children throwing stones. The cars are being damaged, accidents can happen because they are throwing big stones.“
Cable theft was another problem in the area, she added. “We are always sitting without electricity; it is unfair. When will all of this stop?”
The justice system was failing the community because those arrested for cable theft were back on the street the following day, she said.