‘Drugs lead to murder in Nyanga’

Various police operations and provincial government initiatives are under way in Nyanga after crime statistics released showed that crime, particularly murder, in the area has become a lot worse. Picture: Jason Boud

Various police operations and provincial government initiatives are under way in Nyanga after crime statistics released showed that crime, particularly murder, in the area has become a lot worse. Picture: Jason Boud

Published Oct 5, 2015

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Cape Town - Most crimes committed in Nyanga came as a result of alcohol and drug abuse, said Community Safety MEC Dan Plato on Sunday.

Plato spoke to the Cape Times after crime statistics released last week revealed that drug-related crime in the Western Cape was the highest in the country and that the most murders in the country (300 in a 12-month period) were in Nyanga.

“Obviously we are not happy, looking at the murders, specifically, we can say that most of these murders emanate from substance abuse, alcohol and tik,” Plato said.

Asked if provincial government drug and crime projects in the area had not yielded positive results, Plato replied: “It’s such a massive area, we never get positive results after just one or two years.”

He said the department would this week be launching “Alcohol Game Changer”, aimed at addressing high levels of alcohol abuse in the area.

“We will target three areas, Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Paarl East, which have been identified as the worst affected. We know the issue is not just alcohol, its drugs and gangsterism, especially youth gangs which have become a major problem.

“This is why we have also been working together with other provincial government departments, such as social development,” Plato said.

The Provincial Department of Social Development was unable to respond to queries on Sunday.

Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said Operation Stopper had been launched in Nyanga just before the crime statistics were released and had already started yielding results.

“We have deployed 100 extra officers into the area as part of the operation, which aims to reduce crime. There have also been changes at the police station, where there is now a new station commander and cluster commander,” Potelwa said.

Police would be targeting the communities of Samora Machel, Brown’s Farm, Sweet Homes and Old Crossroads.

“These areas are densely populated and the infrastructure is poor with bad roads that make it difficult for officers to get into the hot spots. We have had to do specialised training to get results.

“The officers will be doing foot patrols and stop-and-searches as a means of arresting the situation in Nyanga,” Potelwa said.

Last week, police in the Nyanga Cluster Policing Precinct apprehended more than 400 suspects.

“These suspects were apprehended during various operations conducted in Nyanga, Bishop Lavis, Elsies River, Gugulethu, Manenberg and Philippi East,” said spokesperson Frederick Van Wyk.

Other arrests included drunken driving, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, possession of stolen property, housebreaking and theft, robbery and attempted murder.

“Two firearms were also confiscated and four suspects apprehended for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. One firearm was confiscated in Nyanga and one in Bishop Lavis,” he said.

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@carlo_petersen

Cape Times

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