By Ra-ees Moerat

With Hanover Park residents gripped by fear and a sense of helplessness, community members are set to stage a protest on Saturday August 26, 2017, against gang violence. Last week, 16-year-old pupil, Octavia Johannessen’s life was cut short when she was allegedly gunned down by gangsters in Hanover Park. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the murder. Johannessen was hit by a stray bullet near her home, during gun battles between rival gangs.

Hanover Park Civic Association chairperson, Igsaan Nazier says the scourge of gang violence continues to plague the community.

“As the Hanover Park Civic Association, we have come to a point where we are sick and tired. It seems the MEC Dan Plato has no safety plan in place for Hanover Park and for the broader Cape Flats. The killings are continuing and every day we have children running into stray bullets. It is pathetic,” he urged.

Nazier testifies as to how police allegedly operates in Hanover Park.

“Only once somebody has been killed, will you see twenty police vans driving in the area. Before that, there’s nothing happening from the police’s side.”

He says that the CPF is not visible to residents. According to Nazier, it is in the mandate of the CPF to protect and implement plans for the people of the community. He admits the community is dispirited.

“The community is up in arms. A 16-year old girl, Octavia has been killed – brutally – by gangsters and we [the community] are sick and tired.”

Nazier says that learners from schools in the area are completely traumatised by the violence in the area.

“How can these kids concentrate at school with all the violence happening? It’s a state of emergency, because people are being killed on a daily basis,” he adds.

According to Nazier, MEC Plato brings flowers to the community to sympathise for their losses, but this means nothing. He is adamant that a concrete plan of action to combat the crime and gang violence in the community is much needed.

A memorandum has been prepared by the Hanover Park Civic Association that will be handed over to the South African Police Services (SAPS). The march will start in Hanover Parks Freedom Square at 10am and proceed to the Phillipi police station. Some of the points in the memorandum include:
· MEC Dan Plato must engage with the Hanover Park Civic Association and develop a viable plan.
· The community will engage that plan and determine whether it is workable for the area.

Moreover, there are concerns by the CPF that there is a lack of police and security presence in the area, because SAPS is under-resourced. According to Nazier, this should not be an issue, because there are a number of community members who are more than willing and capable of assisting the law enforcement bodies.

Plato says the Western Cape has historically been under-resourced, with up to 85% of stations understaffed and a shortage of some 3000 police personnel. He believes the problems associated with gangsters, druglords and gun-runners require the specialised attention of the gun and drug units.

The return of these units was announced by President Zuma in his 2016 State of the Nation address, but no action has been taken since.

“National Police management’s silence in this regard is a slap in the face of communities who live in fear on a daily basis,” says Plato.

He added that the current reservist policy and enrollment criteria is too onerous to sufficiently address the void which currently exists.

The number of active police reservists has sharply declined in the Western Cape – by 66% since 2008, from 5059 (2008) to a mere 1700 (2015). Active reservists report for duty on a month-to-month basis.

No police reservists were recruited between 2013/14 and 2015/16. Only one reservist was re-recruited during 2015/16.

Furthermore, in 2008 a total of 22 159 reservists were called up for duty, with pay. This decreased to zero by 2015/16.

“Given the apparent manpower shortages, reservists play an important role in assisting the police and serving as a force multiplier. I have already proposed that the Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, relook at the criteria and prescriptions to capacitate a failing system in order for it to work optimally.”

Plato has reiterated that the Western Cape needs dedicated and well-resourced specialised units which can deliver conviction ready court cases.

“Criminals need to be taken off our streets, this is the only way to win the war against guns and drugs.” VOC