President Jacob Zuma should deploy the military or other official forces to stabilise Hanover Park, Cape Flats residents demanded on Tuesday.

In a memorandum of demands handed over to a representative of the presidency, the residents also asked that a commission of inquiry to investigate organised crime in the Western Cape be established.

Around 30 residents braved cold and wet weather outside Parliament to protest against ongoing gang violence and crime.

Their memorandum was received by presidency representative Charles Ford.

It was addressed to Zuma, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, provincial Community Safety MEC Dan Plato, Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille and JP Smith, who is the Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security.

“We will not continue to be killed, maimed or threatened by these gangs. We will continue to unite and take action to ensure our children are safe, our homes and property is protected and that we can roam the streets without fear,” the memorandum said.

“We pray that you will take up the constitutional custodianship we entrusted to you and free us from this evil in our communities.”

They also wanted National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega to investigate rumours of police involvement and complicity in provincial gang operations, as well as assign additional manpower and resources to the problem.

All parties were asked to do their part to get rid of gang violence.

Mitchell’s Plain resident Madelein Tomlinson, 40, told News24 it was common for stray bullets to fly around.

Most recently, the house next door to hers was attacked by gangsters targeting her neighbour’s son in a suspected retaliation attack.

“It was evening and 7de Laan was still on. I heard bullets hit their home and go through to a Wendy house,” she said.

No one was injured.

“His parents were so shocked that his mother marched right up to the drug den and told them they must stop. She said calling police was going to take too long.”

A 33-year-old Lentegeur woman, who has three children, was looking over her shoulder because her 15-year-old daughter was kidnapped one evening last June and gang-raped by six men until the next morning.

She reported her missing and went looking for her with other female residents, eventually finding her that afternoon.

Asking that she should not be named, the woman told News24 the attackers had yet to be arrested and she was wondering whether the investigating officer was taking the case seriously.

“Up to now, they are still out. They can do this to anyone’s child,” she said.

She chose to walk with her 9-year-old daughter to school because she was scared of her being robbed, or worse.

Residents protested for about two hours outside Parliament before walking to the train station to make their way back to the Cape Flats. News24