Cape Town - Endeavours aimed at finding solutions to the ongoing gang violence in the Hanover Park area fell short when two planned events were postponed.
A meeting by the Community Policing Forum (CPF) was postponed at the last minute after it emerged that a march was organised by another group.
However, the organisers of the march also postponed their event to a later date following the fatal shooting of yet another community member.
In a statement, the CPF said: “A public meeting poster circulating puts people’s lives in danger and is very irresponsible and on short notice has forced us to postpone due to safety reasons.
“The fact that there are two separate public meetings happening on the same day and time is unacceptable. We would be contradicting ourselves if we say were are calling for unity,” the CPF said.
This follows the fatal shooting of four people in the area in separate incidents. Among those killed was a 31-year-old woman in Surburg Walk, who was with friends when about four unidentified men opened a door and one of them fired random shots on Sunday morning.
Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said Philippi police were investigating a murder case.
On Friday, a 28-year-old man was shot and killed while two other people were injured at Landsman Walk. Van Wyk said Philippi police were investigating a murder and two attempted murders. Van Wyk said circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation.
Community activist and march organiser Mansoer Arendse said shootings were a daily occurrence in the area where those innocent were caught in the crossfire.
“These shootings are getting out of hand and the community is angry. The community is getting fed up as the CPF and the police are failing us and have left us to fend for ourselves.
“The whole Philippi police station is corrupt and the CPF does not want to involve the community. Instead, they would rather have these peace talks with the gangsters while they continue killing our kids. We want the community to unite and chase these gangsters out of our community,” Arendse said.
Arendse said that the community does not want peace talks with the gangsters as he said these lead to increased violence.
“Following these peace talks which last for short periods (comes) more violence. They recruit more youngsters to sell drugs, buy more guns and ammunition,” he said.
Anyone with information on the fatal incidents is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.