By Loushe Jordaan Gilbert

With innocent people being shot and killed daily, many residents said that they feel unsafe, with some describing it as being prisoners in their own homes.

Speaking to the VOC News team, anxious residents said their kids are no longer safe as constant fighting between rival gangs, have stripped the younger generation of the right to play freely in their respective communities, communities that have witnessed many senseless murders, who have lost young children due to stray bullets and communities that are now at the mercy of others.

“The children of Hanover Park are no longer safe. They are not even safe at their own home, homes we as parents have worked hard for, with the intention of keeping our kids safe. The way the shots go off in our community, our kids are not even safe just going to the shop. The minute the shooting starts, the kids run, and, in most cases, they run in the direction of the bullets,” said an angry resident.

Another resident said children are not safe, not even in their own backyards. She adds that this deprives the child of fully being a child and developing his or her social skills.

“Our children can’t even play outside freely. If they are not shot, they are either robbed, or fall victim of any form of criminality, they are being bullied by gangsters who are trying to recruit them into gangs,” she stated.

When asked what measures they take when shooting incidents are underway, many said that they run for cover, hide indoors, and lie flat on the ground, while others said that they have become so desensitized by the constant shooting on the Cape Flats, when the shooting starts, they just go on as per normal.

A Madrassah teacher in Hanover Park said that the problem she has is that she never knows when the shooting will start, which means she can never prepare the children accordingly to reduce the trauma that might be experienced when children hear the gunshots.

“I always try to keep my guard up. I try to warn the children and explain what they should do when the shots go off because where we are located, is exactly where the gangsters tend to shoot. The saddest part is that these are kids, how does one prepare them? The only thing we can do is make Duah (prayer) and ask the almighty to protect us during these difficult times,” she concludes.

Yaseen Johaar, a community activist in the area said that the only way to deal with what is happening in the area is to stand united and work with the various role players to reduce crime of all sorts in the area.

“While we commend the work of the key role players, the cries of our community fall on deaf ears. We are in constant fear for our kids and the only way we can overcome that is by working together with the South Africa Police Services (SAPS) and all others who are working towards getting these bad elements off the streets and out of our communities, it can’t be them dictating to us because they need us to show them where the bad elements are,” he stressed.

When asked if the Hanover Park community is receiving the necessary support from SAPS, Johaar said some support is offered, but it is not enough.