Mitchell’s Plain civil safety groups have called on all spheres of government to prioritise addressing gang violence in the area.
This follows four murders and counting since Friday November 4.
In an open letter dated Monday November 7, Norman Jantjes, Mitchell’s Plain Community Police Forum (CPF) chairman, writes: “We call upon all levels of government to give us back our dignity and prioritise our safety.
“We need to have a state of emergency to get government and civil society to work on a Mitchell’s Plain gang intervention plan,” he said.
He said that shootings and murder happened daily and that most of these incidents were gang related, in particular three ongoing “gang wars” in the area.
“Incidents of gang violence affect every single section of Mitchell’s Plain and among the murder victims are also young women, sometimes due to their relations to gangs, gang members or because of drug addiction,” he said.
There are also drug houses and “pella posts” where people hang out and use drugs.
“The CPF believes that this level of crime and gangsterism would never have been allowed in previously white or affluent areas and calls upon the government to do more. As citizens and ratepayers, we have the ‘right’ to live, work, worship and play in a safe environment,“ read the letter.
Last year the CPF and the Mitchell’s Plain United Residents’ Association (MURA) submitted a memorandum highlighting the need for an integrated gang intervention programme, which should specifically address gangsterism (“Call for an end to the violence”, Plainsman, March 17 2021).
Abie Isaacs, founder and co-ordinator of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, questioned whether there was a political will to deal with “urban terror”.
Speaking to the Plainsman yesterday, Tuesday November 8, he called for a special firearms probe unit; more detail on Judge Daniel Thulare’s findings regarding “corrupt operations of SAPS officials who allegedly have links to organised crime”; and the declassification of a Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) report.
“We believe these will shed more light on the urban terror,” he said.
• A man, 34, was shot dead and a boy, 16, was wounded in Juventus Street, Tafelsig, on Friday November 4 at 12.15am. He had gunshot wounds to his left cheek, back and right side.
The teen was shot in the chest and taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Mitchell’s Plain police spokesman, Captain Ian Williams, said a known suspect had entered the yard and opened fire. “The motive is gang related,” he said.
A man, 26, was arrested, charged with murder and appeared in Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court on Monday November 7.
Anyone with information can call investigating officer, Detective-Sergeant Sibongile Mantyi, from Mitchell’s Plain police station’s Serious and Violent Crimes Investigation Department on 079 894 1511.
• Mitchell’s Plain police are calling on witnesses to a murder in AZ Berman Drive, in Tafelsig, on Monday November 7 at 8.06pm to come forward.
Upon arrival at the scene, police found a man, 36, lying on the ground.
He had gunshot wounds to his back, left cheek and chest; and was declared dead on the scene.
Captain Williams said that a council bakkie had allegedly stopped, an occupant got out and shot the man.
“Police are investigating a case of murder. The motive is possibly gang related. No persons have been arrested,” he said.
Anyone with information can call investigating officer, Detective-Sergeant Angus November, from the station’s Serious and Violent Crimes Investigation Department on 079 894 1511.
• A man, 40, was due in Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Tuesday November 8, after police confiscated a Luger firearm, a magazine, 15 live rounds of 9 mm ammunition and two Luger live rounds.
• An 18-year-old boy was arrested during a crime prevention operation in Hengelaar Street, Beacon Valley, on Saturday November 5 at about 8.25pm by the station’s Anti-gang Unit.
He appeared in Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Tuesday November 8, on charges of being in possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence.
• Mitchell’s Plain police are investigating a case of murder and attempted murder in Northwest Street, in Rocklands, on Sunday November 6 at 12.45pm.
Mitchell’s Plain police station spokesperson, Sergeant Zandi Langa, said upon arrival they found a body lying on the ground at the back of the premises, opposite a field.
She also confirmed the corpse to be that of alleged former gang boss Kaldimola “Dimes” Madatt, and another injured victim to be Brandon Arendse, 40.
“He was declared dead on the scene by paramedics. The deceased was shot multiple times,“ read the SAPS statement.
She said Mr Arendse is believed to be a family member of the deceased, who was walking down the road en route to the shop, when he was shot in the left hip and taken to Mitchell’s Plain District Hospital, in Lentegeur.