Cape Town - In some parts of the Cape gangsters are arming children as young as 12 with guns, and drawing them into escalating gang wars.
This is according to Ocean View police spokesperson Leon Fortuin, who said community members in the area had reported that gangsters were recruiting children and giving them guns, in the belief that the youngsters were less likely to be searched during police operations.
“The last person arrested was 16 years old, and before that a 17-year-old was caught. If there is a shootout, we are going to run after the bigger people running away; we’re not going to stop and search a 12-year-old,” said Fortuin.
Johann Kikillus, the director of Soteria Ministries, which offers counselling to former gangsters and the victims of gang violence, and the director of the Ocean View Care Centre, said in the past six months gang violence had escalated, with shootings taking place while children were at school.
Children were witnessing murders and becoming traumatised, while others, influenced to view gang warfare as a glamorous activity, were being drawn into the violence, which was a huge concern.
“Children as young as seven and eight drop out of school to join a gang; it’s becoming fairly normal. They witness shootings and dead bodies. It’s difficult for the SAPS; they can’t do much and need to release kids (they arrest) so they can go back to their parents,” he said. “I am seeing children for trauma. Social development needs to step in. I can only imagine how many children across the board (witness gang violence); it must be thousands.”
The increase in gang violence across the Cape has resulted in Education MEC Debbie Schäfer calling for the national minister of police to deploy the army in the region.
“The reality is that without more of a police presence, gang violence cannot be brought under control. Without proper education many of these children themselves then become involved in gang activities and continue on this destructive cycle of violence and disruption,” said Schäfer.
Gang violence was negatively impacting on schools and depriving children of opportunities. “Last week in Scottsdene, shots rang out continuously around our schools. One police van arrived with one officer, who was unable to enter the area until back-up arrived, which never did. How are the police supposed to prevent crime when they are so severely under-resourced?” she said.
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