Cape Town – Bishop Lavis parents met last night to formulate a plan to deal with gang activity in the area after four innocent youths were shot at the weekend.
Two of those shot were killed, while the other two were recovering in hospital, said Bishop Lavis Action Community (BLAC) liaison officer Amanda Daniels.
Parents and pupils at Nooitgedacht Primary picketed at the school's gate yesterday.
“Those shot were members of the Youth Movement. They were innocent and fell victims to the gangsters who opened fire when they could not hit their target,” Daniels said.
BLAC organised a memorial service for the two women who were killed.
“The authorities largely ignore these actions organised by disgruntled community members who have organised various shutdown actions. BLAC also picketed in front of the Bishop Lavis police station throughout the festive season.
“Our demands have not changed. We demand base camps and tactical response units in the hotspots. We demand that the Cape Flats be declared a disaster area.
“We also want the full implementation of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act to rid our community of gangsters.
“We further demand a public works programme at a living wage for our poor working-class communities,” Daniels said.
At the start of the month, the police's Anti-Gang Unit arrested two suspects on the corner of Bishop Lavis Drive and Sparrow Street who were carrying an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Minutes later, and not far from that address, police seized two more firearms, magazines, rounds of ammunition, firearm parts and a quantity of tik.
During a third call on the same day, members of the unit seized mandrax tablets, tik, and 57 magnum rounds of ammunition.