Download PDFGang violence has been one of the big issues the country has been faced with for many years and has always endangered the lives of many people, especially working class people. This year it has not only escalated but also has many children paying for it with their lives.
There has been reports of many cases of children wounded and killed in gang shoot-outs while children are playing outside and minding their own business. This has been occurring in communities such as Manenberg, Lavender Hill and Hanover Park in Cape Town.
Reports say that a 13-year-old boy was shot in the back while playing soccer on a farm in Philippi recently, an 8-year-old boy was shot in the face while playing with his friends in Manenberg and two girls aged 9 and 14 were hit by stray bullets during an alleged gang crossfire in Hanover Park. A 17-year-old boy was found dead on the scene in a drive-by shooting in Lavender Hill and a 4-year-old wounded.
These communities are infuriated and have had enough. People claim that these bullets have been flying through people’s windows and houses. This shows that they are not only in danger when they are outside but they are not even safe in their own homes.
The Police Minister, Bheki Cele, has responded to this by deploying 200 more police officials in the Western Cape to be active in the hotspots of these crimes. Cele claims to have taken this step to eradicate what he calls a “stubborn wave of crime” in the Cape.
This article was submitted on 12 April 2021. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
