Last night, 17 October 2023, at approximately 19:00, Metro Police officers were on patrol in Manenberg, as part of the City’s deployment to assist the South African Police Service in response to the increase in gang violence in the area.

Officers heard gunfire, and observed a suspect crouching in Rio Grande Street, discharging a firearm. They ordered him to lower his weapon, but he fired at them, and when officers returned fire, the suspect ran away in an attempt to evade custody.

The wounded suspect collapsed shortly afterwards and officers immediately summoned medical assistance – however, the 35-year-old male was declared deceased by medical personnel a short while later.

A 9mm pistol sans serial number was recovered, along with 6 rounds of ammunition in the magazine. The scene was handed over to SAPS for further processing and investigation. 

The City has also availed members of its Safety and Security Investigation Unit to assist SAPS, where needed. 

With gang violence plaguing several communities, the City is doing all it can to help curb the violence, including deploying additional operational resources and utilising all available technology like gunshot detection, CCTV surveillance, along with dashboard cameras and body-worn cameras where available. 

It is of concern that, after the officers subdued the suspect in Manenberg, they were faced with hostility from some in the community. 

It cannot be that the very communities who are desperately pleading for assistance and intervention, turn on enforcement services in this manner.

Nor can it be that national government does not acknowledge, and address the crisis of ever-increasing gang violence through improved resourcing of the SAPS and the criminal justice system as a whole.

Every few weeks and months, communities on the Cape Flats are subjected to indiscriminate violence as gang conflict flares up – it is a seemingly never-ending cycle.

It raises serious questions as to who is funding the organised crime syndicates in the Western Cape, and how they are able to obtain such a steady source of weapons and ammunition.

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