Community leaders and residents of the Cape Flats unite in urgent calls for coordinated action against escalating gang violence, demanding justice and safety for all. Source image: Daily Voice
(The Post News)- Determined to restore peace in the Cape Flats, the Mitchells Plain CPF, alongside Lentegeur and Strandfontein CPFs, convened an urgent meeting with Sub-Forums, Neighbourhood Watch groups, NGOs, the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), and the Athlone and Bishop Lavis CPFs. Their goal: to demand swift, unified action against rising gang violence.
Norman Jantjies, Chairperson of the Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF), emphasized the community’s firm stance: “We refuse to accept gang violence as a norm in our community. The bloodshed must end, and those responsible must face justice.”
He urged every Mitchells Plain resident to stand united in supporting these initiatives and to demand action from those in power.
They demand a unified, strategic plan to bring lasting safety and stability to the entire community. The CPFs called on all law enforcement agencies to adopt a coordinated approach aimed at ending gang-related violence and shootings immediately.
They also called for the swift arrest of all active gang leaders in Mitchells Plain and requested that the Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, the National Minister of Police, and both City and Provincial law enforcement leaders attend a community meeting scheduled for this week.
“At this meeting, authorities must present a detailed plan to dismantle gang networks and end the culture of impunity plaguing Mitchells Plain and the broader Cape Flats,” Jantjies said.
The crime fighters are also urging religious leaders and organizations to hold interfaith gatherings throughout the Plain this week. A large-scale community march is planned for Sunday, 13 July, to strengthen the demand for safety and justice.
“We call on all stakeholders, government, law enforcement, and civil society, to act decisively before more lives are lost,” Jantjies said. “Some resolutions were adopted, including an urgent meeting with the SAPS Provincial Commissioner’s office, a motorcade, interfaith services, and a mass peace march.”
Speaking on behalf of the area’s Islamic leadership, the Imamat Council of Mitchells Plain condemned the surge in gang violence affecting the community.
“Over the past days, we witnessed a troubling increase in gang shootings, resulting in the tragic loss of many lives, including innocent men, women, and even children,” the Council stated. “These senseless acts of violence are tearing families apart, poisoning the spirit of our neighbourhoods, and instilling fear in the hearts of our people.”
As the Cape Flats braces for this community-led call to action, all eyes are on authorities to respond with urgency and resolve.
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