Cape Town - Frustrated Lavender Hill teachers joined forces with religious leaders and community members in a picket against gang violence in the area.
Before schools started yesterday, the groups picketed on Prince George Drive calling for the end of gang violence and drug dealing in the community.
Luzane Wilks, a parent of a seven-year-old Prince George Primary School pupil, said the community was tired of the unrest.
“We are tired of innocent people losing their lives. Our children are scared and are refusing to go to school. We need to stand up against these people and support the teachers in Lavender Hill.”
Pastor Basil Leukes said at one school in Lavender Hill, only 13 of the 44 pupils pupils in one class had arrived for school.
“Children are fearful to go to school; they are traumatised, and rightfully so. Which parent will want to send their child to school? We can’t even go to nearby shops. Churches are also affected by this because people can’t attend evening prayer meetings. We want to put a stop to this.”
The religious leader also called on mothers in the community to stop hiding their gangster children and guns.
“These mothers hide the guns for money. Neighbours of drug dealers refuse to sign petitions which seek to remove these dealers out of our community because they get money from the dealers,” said Leukes.
A number of shots were fired when the Cape Argus visited a Lavender Hill school on Wednesday.
Levana Primary School principal Andre Lamprecht said: “No one is safe in this area; my concern is more about the children who are experiencing the shooting on a daily basis. “What is happening to the area is really traumatising because teachers and children are living in fear. We are not safe, whether we are inside the school premises or outside.
“We would like to get help and support from the government and the police.”
Cape Argus