Cape Town – About 50 members of the MItchells Plain cluster Community Policing Forum last night picketed outside the offices of the provincial police department in Green Point, demanding a plan of action to deal with gangsterim.
The group had last Thursday given police a 48-hour ultimatum. By yesterday their call had not been met, cluster chairperson Lucinda Evans said.
The Mitchells Plain cluster represents, among other areas, Grassy Park, Steenberg, Philippi, Mitchells Plain and Athlone.
Evans said: “There are people in our communities who last night couldn’t sleep because of the gang violence.”
Police spokesperson Andre Traut last night said: “This office can confirm that a peaceful protest comprising about 50 people in front of the Western Cape Provincial Commissioner’s office is being monitored by police. The situation is under control and no violence has been detected.”
The call comes as Police Minister Bheki Cele tasked national police commissioner Kehla Sithole to provide a detailed report on the inner workings of the province’s Major Offences Reaction Team (Mort).
Cele’s spokesperson, Reneilwe Serero, said: “The minister has requested a report on the Mort which was established this year, and which is running parallel to the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU). The minister requested clarity on its mandate, its resource allocation, and terms of operations completed and arrests made.”
The unit is headed by Brigadier Zingisa Manci, wife of acting provincial police commissioner Mpumelelo Manci, who is said to be close to provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khombinkosi Jula.
According to information, Jula had extended the Mort for three months until the end of July at a monthly budget of R1.16 million.
Jula has been on annual leave since the wounding of five AGU members in Philippi.
Meanwhile, two separate shooting incidents claimed the lives of two men in Bonteheuwel at the weekend.
The men were shot and killed amid ongoing gang violence in the area, which has carried on for several weeks.
Traut said they had increased manpower in the area.
“(On Saturday night) at around 18.30 a 25-year-old man was shot and killed on the corner of Prunus Street and Smalblaar Road, Bonteheuwel, by unknown suspects in a silver Toyota,” said Traut.
Hours later, at 10.40, an 18-year-old man was shot and killed in Juniper Street by an unknown suspect.
Traut said both cases were under investigation, and no one had been arrested.
Anyone with information may contact Crime Stop anonymously on 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line on 32211.