Community divided over SANDF's Cape Flats deployment as violence persists

Communities have welcomed the SA National Defence Force's (SANDF) deployment on the Cape Flats but remain uncertain about its effectiveness.

During a joint parade in Belhar last week, Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said that Operation Prosper, which unites the SAPS, SANDF, and the City of Cape Town, is fully prepared.

Cape Flats Safety Forum chairperson, Abie Isaacs, said they have welcomed the deployment of SANDF as a force multiplier to the SAPS in hot spot areas. 

“We have observed in affected areas that the community have been accepting them. We call on communities to assist these agencies in rooting out crime. We would only be able to see the impact after 21 days.”

Mitchells Plain Residents United Association (MURA) chairperson, Michael Jacobs, echoed Isaacs’ sentiment and welcomed the forces, but still had concerns.

“However, we have seen that while the army has been deployed to our areas, gang shootings and gang killings still continue with impunity. So we are asking the SANDF, the police service and all other law enforcement agencies to strengthen their capacity to deal with the gang violence effectively and to stop the killings,” Jacobs said.

“There's concern in our communities that even the presence of the army is not bringing any relief when it comes to gang shootings and gang killings.”

Chairperson of the Bishop Lavis Crime Prevention Forum (BLCPF), Graham Lindhorst, said that they reaffirm their view that deploying the army is not a solution to the gang problem currently ravaging communities and call on the government to deal with the social ills facing communities. 

“We can further confirm that the army is received with mixed feelings by community members. They are welcomed by some members who feel it creates a sense of safety, whilst other members are sceptical about the deployment, fearing hard-handedness by law enforcement.”

Lindhorst said since the SANDF came into the precinct on April 2, incidents of criminality continue as reported on social media, namely: Bonteheuwel - shooting in Redberry Street, Kalksteenfontein - two people shot in Gloxinia Street, and a car smashed, stripped and burning in retaliation.

On Saturday, a man was reportedly stoned to death in Bonteheuwel, a shooting incident took place in Charles Lane, Valhalla Park, and other alleged shooting incidents took place.

“The above trend shows that the SANDF deployment into the Bishop Lavis Precinct had little to no impact on crime in the area. We reiterate our call to SAPS to work much closer with communities through CPFs, Neighbourhood Watches, Organisations within the Safety Sector,” Lindhorst said.

Fight Against Crime added that they support the deployment, and that local and national leadership have failed the Cape Flats for decades.

“Gangs didn’t become this powerful overnight. They were allowed to grow, organise, and take control while leadership looked the other way. Now suddenly there’s outrage? Spare us. The deployment is days old,” they said.

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