-
Crime scene cordoned off.
Community leaders in Gugulethu (on the Cape Flats) say they will continue to try and find solutions to the crime scourge in the area. This is despite a notable lack of interest during a call for a community peace march against crime.
Only civic society and religious leaders came out for the peace march that was supposed to end at the local police station. Gugulethu has been hit by a problem of mass shootings in recent months, mainly attributed to extortion and gang activity.
Leaders say they were also surprised by the lack of interest, attributing it to the festive period.
The area is no stranger to violent killings, with communities saying they live in fear for their lives.
Community leaders have lamented moral degeneration, socio economic challenges and gender based violence as some of the problems afflicting the communities.
The leaders subsequently held a meeting on their own.
Dr Llewellyn MacMaster of the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition explains, “We felt with the people that’s here we just need to have a discussion to hear people’s hearts. I think we are encouraged by the fact that when we look in terms of our history, its not always the masses that bring about change, its the commitment of small groups of activists who believe in this dream. That is what drives me personally, that we had a dream when we fought apartheid and this dream must be kept alive. We cannot say evil has taken over and there’s nothing that we can do. So we have learned to work with those who are present, and they will go out and be the agents that will draw in people. So most probably we will have to regroup and replan for next year. But from the reports that we got from Gugulethu, there is a need for this because crime and the killings are affecting Gugulethu in particular.”
