Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille launched what has been calledd the Stabilisation Unit in Manenberg on Friday as part of the Provincial Government and City of Cape Town’s plan to improve crime ridden Manenberg. After the launch, De Lille told VOC News that the 190 strong unit, which forms part of the Metro Police, will offer the community police visibility in an attempt to create safer streets.

“This is a partnership between the Provincial Government, the City of Cape Town and Metro Police. We have all come together to establish this unit that can complement and suppplement the police in terms of monitoring and policing to provide better police visibility in Manenberg, Hanover Park, Bishop Lavis and Ottery. This was on the request of the community so they can at least move out of their home safely,” De Lille explained.

The City’s plans include improving public transportation, youth development, safety/security interventions amongst others. On Friday, De Lille and media made their way to the area where new, armed officials, who have come from unemployment, were deployed into the community.

However, De Lille believes this initiative is not the only answer to the problems within Manenberg. A holistic approach to the social conditions within the area is needed, De Lille suggested. There are other socio-economic campaigns focused on social issues that normally give rise to gangsterism and drug abuse.

“The Stabilising Unit is not the silver bullet for the community of Manenberg. That is why we have already rolled out the school holiday programs, a special unit to provide skills in leadership and life skills, there is another initiative where we are trying to make people employable. Most of all, we launched the Urban upgrade,” De Lille continued.

“Manenberg is a product of the Apartheid regime and not really designed for a community. We want to change that and create better opportunities in that space.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Manenberg Policing Forum, Rugshanda Pascoe argued that it was through the efforts of the forum and residents which resulted in the current peace truce agreement with gangsters in the area and not through the help of government or the City of Cape Town.

“Yet again, it wasn’t metro police nor SAPS that brought stability here, it was the people of Manenberg. It is easy now for people to walk around. Now they want to come into our community to gain votes for the upcoming 2016 elections. When the people of Manenberg needed them, they were nowhere to be found. I call on them to come and walk in our streets just as our children have walked among the bullets,” Pascoe said. VOC (Ra’eesah Isaacs)