The Mitchells Plain United Residents Association in Cape Town says the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has done nothing to reduce gang violence in the area.
This comes as Parliament prepares to undertake an inquiry into gangsterism on the Cape Flats next month.
The inquiry will include public hearings, and meetings with community groups, policing forums and neighbourhood watches.
The association’s Norman Jantjies says the inquiry will provide community members with an opportunity to express their concerns about gang violence and policing efforts.
“Gang warfare is still a daily occurrence. There are massive fights between gangs as if they’re on a massive recruitment drive and that recruitment drive is unabated now despite the presence of the army. It is continuing and so the presence of the army didn’t really make a dent because like I said on one day we’ve had, just in Mitchells Plain alone, three murders and over the past few days on the Cape Flats, we’ve had 18 murders. So, there is still this feeling of hopelessness. And I think the level of distrust between the community and the police is even worse than it was before.”
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