The Hanover Park Community Police Forum (CPF) will be hosting a mass meeting with residents on Wednesday evening to discuss possible steps in the new anti-crime campaign. The CPF will take into consideration any possible recommendations made by residents, on how to irradiate the surge of gang violence and drugs.

Outraged by the deaths of a further 12 people as a result of gang shootings in the past two weeks residents of Hanover Park mobilized for a mass demonstration on Sunday. The protest march formed part of a new anti-campaign, initiated by the CPF, with the aim of quelling the escalating violence in the area.

The march was motivated by the killing of two brothers outside their home last Friday. According to CPF spokesperson Waldon Cameron, the killing of two law abiding citizens, both of whom had no affiliation to any gangs, was what prompted the community to want to take decisive action.

“We as a community have stood up and we’ve had enough now. That is broadly the message that we carried across,” he said.

The demonstration took the form of a peace march, with the goal of raising awareness to the crippling incidents of gang violence that have plagued the Hanover Park community. Cameron said they had taken to chanting messages towards the gangsters within the area, that the community was standing united against them.

“There were a lot of thoughts coming from the crowd during the march. As we passed houses of suspected drug dealers, the community said that they (gangsters) must stop this nonsense,” he explained.

He added that with a strong police contingent accompanying the crowd, proceedings had gone done without any real incidents. Despite the success of Sunday’s march, Cameron reported that a further incident had taken place over the weekend in which a 21 year old youth was shot dead. He was however unable to provide any further details.

He also took a swipe at the areas councilor, accusing him of failing to attend any of meetings or protests that took place on a regular basis. Cameron was critical of the councilor’s failure to meet with the families of any of the victims, as a show of sympathy and support. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)