Tafelsig community demands action as youth violence escalates
Stabbing incident in Tafelsig highlights growing concerns over youth safety and calls for action from local authorities.
Image: Marsha Bothma
Tafelsig residents are calling for urgent police visibility as violence among youth continues to spiral out of control, with the latest stabbing leaving the community shaken.
Two learners - both believed to be from Tafelsig High School - were chased into Tafelberg Road on Wednesday morning where they were attacked and knifed.
A Daily Voice source said: “Two boys were stabbed, one was injured close to the eye with scratches, and the other one, I’m not sure about, but I heard it was the arm.
“They were taken away by a community member. It’s believed the attack was retaliation, and a case was opened.
“The violence is getting out of hand because the parents can’t control the children anymore. Those boys were students at Mitchells High School last year, and they’ve brought the 30s and the 8s gang issues into Tafelsig High.
“If fights are not in school, then it happens after school, and if it's not near to the school then in streets surrounding school.
“We hope the parents also step up so that something can be done.”
Community activist and Pakhuis Neighbourhood Watch captain Bahia Claasen added: “One parent opened a case. The attackers are school dropouts, a group of boys targeting schoolchildren.”
Claasen added that she has been pleading for more police presence in the area since last year. “This did not just start today. It has been happening since last year, and we are not getting help from police. We need visibility on every corner in Tafelsig.”
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that an assault common case was registered.
The latest attack comes amid growing concerns around safety and discipline at Tafelsig High.
Earlier this month, fears of a planned shutdown by the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) threw the school into chaos, as frustrations grew over teacher shortages and ongoing safety concerns.
While the shutdown did not go ahead, parents said the situation at the school remains unstable, with multiple teachers absent and learning constantly disrupted.
One community member said the problem runs deeper than just the classroom, explaining: “The reason why the teachers are staying out of school is due to them not being able to handle the pressure of the unruly children.
“So it is a double-edged sword, it runs both ways.
“The teachers are not in school because of what is happening with the children on the one side, and what is happening at the school. Now the teachers are out of school and because of that the other children are suffering.”
Cops previously said no contact crime cases had been officially reported at the school this year, but acknowledged the area’s ongoing gang violence and urged communities to report incidents.
Residents now say enough is enough and are calling on both police and parents to step up before more young lives are put at risk.