The community of Manenberg marched through the streets of their gang-invested neighbourhood to send a message to the criminals living among them. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town - Manenberg residents said they were collecting signatures to ask the government to suspend load shedding in the gang-ridden area.
This was said as the residents gathered at Jordaan Street on Monday afternoon. The Community Policing Forum’s (CPF’s) Vanessa Adriaanse said: “Gangsters have decided to take over Manenberg, we have lost hope over the government.
“This event is not about the media or social media. We are beyond tired. It can't be normal that we have beds but we are forced to sleep on the floor. We are asking the government to suspend load shedding. We have seen that the gangsters kill each other during load shedding. We are asking this because we are in dire need.
“We can’t keep quiet even after the shooting of a 9-year-old. We feel the pain, this is our community.”
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said the provincial government was aware of the shootings during the rolling blackouts.
“We have facilitated conversations and dialogue with other spheres of government around load shedding, and I will engage the City of Cape Town in this regard, specifically Manenberg and other crime hot spots.
“As the Western Cape government, we have been very clear that load shedding is actually seeing that there is a higher level of crime. I have released information in the past about murders happening during the scheduled blackouts.
“I am deeply encouraged to see that communities have not lost hope, and that they are standing together. We need the community to assist us because we cannot do it alone, and I would like to encourage the Manenberg residents to contact us and tell us about the illegal weapons.”
CPF chairperson Vernon Visagie said he wasn’t happy with the turnout.
“I know that a lot of people couldn’t come to the event because they would have been going into another turf. We chose the venue because it’s a hot spot. We are not scared of the gang war, we want our people to be safe, and crime to decrease.
“We hope to make a difference and wish to inform people that there is help if they need it, we have social workers and we are also available.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za