'It's a war zone' - community groups meet to discuss gang violence on Cape Flats

11 September 2018 3:33 PM

Various community organisations and political groups will meet on Tuesday evening to discuss the state of crime on the Cape Flats.

Manenberg Safety Forum chairperson Roegshanda Pascoe says the latest crime statistics are still a sugar-coated version of reality.

At the same time, labour federation Cosatu has threatened to embark on a shut down in the province if authorities fail to deal with gangsterism.

The latest crime stats were released by Police Minister Bheki Cele in Parliament on Tuesday.

Cele says that according to the stats, 57 people are murdered in South Africa every day.

However, Pascoe believes that the killings on the Cape Flats account for many more lost lives.

Read: Crime stats - The country is feeling the effects of the Zuma administration

Pascoe says ineffective policing and an unjust judicial system have created distrust between community members and authorities.

With in one week in Mitchells Plein we have 30 deaths.
— Roegshanda Pascoe, Manenberg Safety Forum chairperson

Believe me, it's a war zone. This is a genocide of a people having a war upon itself.
— Roegshanda Pascoe, Manenberg Safety Forum chairperson

Some of these mothers don't even have closure as yet. Nobody is held accountable for the killing of their children.
— Roegshanda Pascoe, Manenberg Safety Forum chairperson

No money can buy the life back of any human being that we have lost on the Cape Flats, we have called for the Western Cape to come together in unity.
— Roegshanda Pascoe, Manenberg Safety Forum chairperson

Humanity is at stake here. Human life.
— Roegshanda Pascoe, Manenberg Safety Forum chairperson

We have a right to be safe. We have a right to be free in this counrty. That hasn't been afforded to us.
— Roegshanda Pascoe, Manenberg Safety Forum chairperson