A nine-year-old boy is the latest victim of ongoing violence in the seaside neighbourhood of Ocean View in Cape Town.

According to a statement by Western Cape police the child was shot dead in the early hours of Saturday morning.

In addition two men‚ aged 19 and 26‚ and a 28-year-old woman were admitted to hospital after they were shot.

“Detectives are combing [the scene] for clues that will lead to the arrest of suspects who are responsible…‚” the police statement read.

According to the ward councillor‚ Patricia Francke‚ unconfirmed reports indicate that the suspects‚ allegedly gangsters‚ stormed into the family’s house.

“It is shocking. It is so sad to think that a child‚ an innocent child‚ must die for something he had never been part of. His granny is a community leader and the family is not negligent‚” said Francke.

“The granny has a good reputation of working with the Ocean View people.” Francke said she had been told that the grandmother was set to get married on Saturday.

“I will be going to the home to speak to the family but as I understand it‚ it will be the child’s funeral today because they are Muslim.”

“I received WhatsApp messages [the] whole night (Friday) that they were shooting randomly in Ocean View. I tried to alert the police station but I got no answer.”

She will be meeting with pastors and religious leaders on Monday to discuss the ongoing violence in the area which has a population of approximately 40‚000 people.

Last year Francke spearheaded an initiative among residents‚ predominantly unemployed women‚ to keep the streets safe. They arm themselves with a cup of tea‚ a broom and nerves of steel.

First the women started a WhatsApp group. When a known trouble maker or a suspicious person is spotted an alert goes out. All the women in the street switch on their kettles‚ make a cup of tea and grab their brooms. They step outside‚ keeping the hot tea nearby‚ and start sweeping at the person in unison and in silence.

“You are sweeping the person out of your environment. This is your street‚ this is where you belong‚” Francke told residents last year when the project launched.

She said the tea is their weapon but that it would only be used when they are threatened. “[The tea] is a support when you need to run‚” she said.

Today there are several similar initiatives like this in Ocean View.

[Source: Times Live]