Cape Town – Manenberg police are investigating cases of murder and attempted murder after a shootout that occurred in an open field yesterday.
Community activist Roegshanda Pascoe said on Thursday she was shocked when she received a video of residents preventing the police from stopping the shootout between two rival gangs, believed to be the Clever Kids and Hard Livings, who are holding the community hostage, opposite Grietta Court at about 5pm.
"According to information, four men and a female were shot. A 20-year-old man died due to his injuries, while four victims aged between 19 and 31, including a female, were wounded," said police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana.
"They were transported to hospital for treatment. Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation, with no arrests so far."
Pascoe said: "You have your attackers who take the side of the gangs and who don't want the police to act and then there are those who want stability and who have really had enough because they are worried about their children.
"Another reason could be that some people are frustrated and my fear is people are taking the law into their own hands with vigilante action.
"There are different stories about what happened, with some people saying the police didn't want to come in and others say the police were afraid and that's why the people in Manenberg started attacking them."
Kader Jacobs, chairperson of the Manenberg Community Policing Forum, told Die Burger the police had tried in vain to intervene.
"The people basically attacked police officers. The police had to call in the army to help bring the situation under control.
"The police and the army were in Manenberg earlier in the day but just after the army left, the shooting continued."
Pascoe believes the army isn't always able to quell the violence and is concerned that there is no safety plan in place for when the SANDF's deployment ends next week.
"The last time seven people were shot in Manenberg, the army was there and they supported the police and still they couldn't stop and prevent those pople from getting shot.
"Where is the safety plan that they must put together and start putting in place. I say again, work with the people instead of against the people.
"Why has that not started while the army is still here, so when the army left your plan B had to kick in when they leave. But there's no plan, so why was the crime summit held?
"Why was money wasted? It could've been used to help the people," Pascoe said.