By Daanyaal Matthews

The Hanover Park community has still not recovered after the killings of Umar Majiet and Moegamat Tawfeeq Cummings. The pair were two local hufaath who were gunned down in the area last week. While the passing of these community members made headlines throughout the Mother City, it is one of the many deaths that occur on an almost habitual basis throughout the Cape Flats especially in the Hanover Park community. 

Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Wednesday morning, Yaseen Johaar, Member of the Hanover Park CPF, has elaborated on the stance within the community, stating:  

“The situation is still tense, the atmosphere, the environment, in Hanover Park after the double murder has created an anxiety fueled environment. There has been ongoing incidents but I think overall that the approach is and always has been, not just based on the double murder but the hype of trying to restore peace and stability, has always been ongoing.”  

These ongoing efforts of the CPF have been running concurrently with the efforts of the Ulama and The South African Police, with Yaseen imploring the former to stand with the community vocally in highlighting the plight, arguing:  

“I believe in the concept of putting our religious clergy in the forefront of things. I believe the aspect of a believing people is being removed from our society, being removed from our schools, and I think that is an aspect that must be reinstituted in our youth and in our schools.” 

Furthering this Johaar has called upon the religious clergy, from all faiths, to join in fighting the issue of criminality by unifying their message to their congregation to strengthen the solidarity against the alleviation of crime. 

“One challenge that we saw was that each one gave a different message but if we as religious clergy could relay the same message in our jumuah prayers or in the Sunday congregation service given by the Christians, that in itself will also bring that unification as one message is going out as a collective.” 

VOC

Photo: TSS/VOCfm