Residents of Uitsig have called for increased manpower to combat the scourge of violence within their community. Earlier this week police arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of a four-year-old girl in Uitsig on the Cape Flats. This after Thea Lewis was fatally shot as a result of suspected gang violence within the area.

Lewis was killed at approximately 12h00 on Wednesday afternoon while standing on her family’s Uitsig property. She was hit by a bullet in her chest as a result of suspected gang violence that transpired at a nearby field. The little girl died in her mother’s arms.

Chairperson of the Ravensmead Community Policing Forum David Olivier explained that despite the recent visit by MEC for Safety, Dan Plato, to the community, Uitsig residents have been subjected to violent activity for a prolonged period.

“[Plato] said that they want to put some measures in place to curb the violence, especially the shooting.

“Even in that meeting, the community raised many concerns, where they complained about the response of the police and especially the shooting,” Olivier said.

He said residents complained of violent activity that is witnessed throughout the day, which has been attributed to suspected gang violence.

Police, Olivier noted, said that they are unable to manage the violence since police stations are understaffed.

He has likened the violence in Uitsig to areas such as Lavender Hill and Manenberg, which are synonymous with gang violence, but says the concerns of Uitsig residents does not receive the due attention.

“The day that this thing happened, was the day that the bus strike started. Now there are also other units of the police that are operating in the Ravensmead area and on that specific day, those units were withdrawn from the area to be more focussed on the bus strike.”

Olivier said that the shooting of the little girl has devastated the entire community.

“It is the first time that a child of that age got shot in the area.”

Residents are now calling on government to intervene and deal with gang violence, by not only increasing resources allocated to the area, but also increasing manpower to manage the outbreak of violence.

“Sometimes there are one or two vans patrolling Ravensmead, Connaught Estate and Uitsig, which is completely unacceptable. There is just no action from the side of the authorities,” Olivier stated.

VOC 91.3fm