Fight Night: Parents urged to intervene as mall violence escalates in Cape Town

Police are requesting the victims of the latest rage of mall violence dubbed “Fight Night" to come forward, while Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais, together with the ward councillor and crime activists, called on parents to intervene.

Management at Canal Walk told the Cape Argus they had to call police to bring calm at the weekend, when a fight between two girls at the shopping centre broke out. 

Videos of the fight went viral on social media, showing crowds of teenagers on school holiday cheering them on and others trying to stop it.

A poster advertising a “Meet and Greet” at Canal Walk was shared prior to the incident, with another poster inciting violence between two girls by sharing their photographs, labelling it a battle of the Facebook pictures, titling it "Fight Night".

It is just one of several incidents in recent weeks to break out at local malls such as Canal Walk and the V&A Waterfront.

In 2021, a young man was stabbed during an incident at the V&A Waterfront following a confrontation.

Vanessa Herbst, marketing manager for Canal Walk, confirmed they would be tightening security measures following the latest incident.

“Centre management is aware of a gathering that took place at Canal Walk involving a group of unsupervised youth. While our security team with the assistance of the SAPS worked diligently to manage the situation, the nature of the gathering presented significant challenges,” she said.

“The centre does not condone disruptive or inappropriate behaviour of any kind.

“While incidents of this nature are rare, they highlight the importance of shared responsibility between centre management, parents and the wider community.

“We are engaging with relevant stakeholders and authorities to strengthen our approach in managing gatherings of this nature to prevent similar incidents in future."

Just last week, another two girls fought at the V&A Waterfront, following which head of communication and PR, Donald Kau, said they would be taking action.

“In the instance of youngsters caught participating in these fights, statements are taken by our security officials, written warnings are provided to the individuals in our custody, the parents and SAPS notified and where a police investigation is necessary, we would supply the investigating officer with security footage and reports of the incident.”

Marais told the Cape Argus as much as it was the centre management’s concern for safety, it was also the responsibility of parents.

“This type of behaviour is not only dangerous and illegal, but it also poses a serious risk to the safety of the wider public, including innocent bystanders as it has been reported that some of the teenagers are also bringing weapons along to these fights,” she said.

 “I urge parents and guardians to take an active role in monitoring their children’s online activity.

"These fights are often organised through digital platforms, and early intervention by parents or guardians can play a crucial role in preventing violence before it occurs. 

“My appeal to teenagers is that they immediately stop this behaviour which has the possibility of resulting in serious injury, death and legal consequences.”

Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi, said while they had no record of the latest incident, they were appealing for victims to come forward.

Anti-crime group, Fight Against Crime South Africa (FACSA), said they believed some of the children were armed and called for security measures to monitor this.

“These are not harmless scuffles, they are organised, deliberate, and dangerous. Malls meant for families, for leisure, for economic activity are being turned into battlegrounds.

“FACSA has been informed that some of these teenagers are coming to the malls armed.

“What started as meet-ups and fights is now escalating into a serious public safety crisis, one that could easily result in severe injury or loss of life."

They said they would now be monitoring social media for any “meet & greet” gatherings designed to spark violence.

Ward councillor in the Kensington area, Cheslyn Steenberg, also called on parents to prevent their children from being involved in mall violence.

“I call upon our parents and guardians to take extra special care finding out where your children will gather and have a good time," he said.

Cape Crime Crisis Coalition said this called for an initiative for the youth.

“We want to launch an anti youth violence campaign, this is part of an issue we want to look at.”

Earlier, Siya Monakali of the gender based violence organisation, Ilitha Labantu, said: "These violent outbursts are symptoms of deeper societal failings: the erosion of protective structures, the absence of accountability, and the failure to engage youth in constructive and empowering ways,” he said.

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Cape Argus