CAPE TOWN - Police officers from Mpumalanga have been deployed to Cape Town following at least 13 execution-style murders in townships and the Cape Flats recently.
Police Minister Bheki Cele hosted a community Imbizo in Monwabisi Park on Thursday, where residents were able to engage with him in an effort to find a way forward.
Eight people were killed in Manenberg last week, while five people were gunned down in the Endlovini informal settlement on Monday.
Cele said SAPS had the names of suspects.
“We need to work for the people and put aside the politics from national, provincial, and local governments to improve the lives of the people.
“Yesterday we were doing a presentation on a strategy to the Cabinet. We told the President that we have a problem with environmental design, our communities are not built for police to have access.
“People should support the Community Police Forums (CPF) and Neighbourhood Watch.
“If you don’t do so you are undermining the law. We can’t have children who grew up in an environment where they have to step over dead bodies every morning,” said Cele.
South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) chairperson Sinethemba Mthini urged the government to fix roads and put street lights.
“Crime in our area is not a new thing even seeing dead bodies is our daily thing.
“We built shacks here knowing very well that it is a dumping place for dead bodies but we had no choice because we had nowhere to go.
“Now that we are here we urge the government to provide us with basic services such as street lights, roads and we want police visibility in our community.
“We live in fear in this area because you never know what might happen to you while you are sleeping.
“In the past weeks there was a group of people carrying guns who would knock at our doors and once you open they would beat you for no reason and people would wake up with scars the following day,” said Mthini.
Cape Times