Good Party wants urgent intevention in Ottery, Lotus River gang violence

Lotus River

Cape Town — The areas of Ottery, Lotus River and Grassy Park have been hit by ongoing gang violence placing many citizens’ lives at risk, and the Good Party has urged the government to take decisive action.

Gang violence in the area has increased drastically over the past week, with dozens killed and there appears to be no end in sight. The Good Party released a statement and called on the City of Cape Town to take action, highlighting the failures of the Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP) to effectively reduce crime.

“The recent surge in senseless killings has proven that the current policing system and crime-fighting efforts are failing the law-abiding residents.” Party spokesperson, Janke Tolmay, said.

Tolmay said the LEAP initiative has not yet shown positive results and those in charge fail to acknowledge this. She encouraged strengthening partnerships with neighbourhood watches and Community Policing Forums (CPFs).

“The inefficiency of the South African police and the over-reliance on boots on the ground have clearly allowed crime to spiral out of control. The City and the Province must prioritise the safety of residents and engage constructively with the community if they are serious about tackling the issue of crime,” she said

“We need bold action and commitment to empowering the Neighbourhood Watch and CPFs, instead of investing in ineffective measures to save political face.”

According to IOL, many residents of Ottery, Lotus River and Grassy Park, are fearing for their lives after a 24-year-old man was shot and killed while sitting in a park.

“We are constantly scared to walk or drive around in the area. The problem is now in Ottery and Lotus River. This has been ongoing since the shooting of the barber, and what I understand about that is that the deceased was reportedly innocent.” the anonymous resident said.

Community police forum deputy chairperson Nicole Jacobus urged residents to report suspects to the police. Jacobus said the police or the army cannot help unless the people in the community inform them who the shooters are. She said the community just want the shootings to stop.

“At the moment we can’t say why there is a war in Lotus River/Ottery, just that we are concerned. We are still trying to find out the tally of the murders and attempted murders in the last few weeks.” Jacobus said.

Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais said the spike in the number of shootings within the Grassy Park policing precinct is concerning. She extended condolences to the family and pointed out the harsh reality of the Cape Flats.

“It shows the urgency of my stated objective to have the number of police officers in the Western Cape increased to the fair number in terms of the census, namely 12% of the national total, which the province should rightly have,” said Marais.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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