Mitchells Plain residents to address gang violence with provincial authorities

As the Mitchells Plain community continues to grapple with gang and gun violence, the Western Cape Government is hoping to better collaborate with residents to quell it.

This, as the Provincial Police Oversight and Community Safety Department, is set to meet with local safety stakeholders for engagements on plans to address crime in the community.

The meeting, scheduled for Saturday, 16 August, will run from 09:00 to 15:00 at Cedar High School, on the corner of Spine and Weltevreden Drive in Rocklands.

MEC Anroux Marais noted that the engagement will focus on the development and implementation of the Mitchells Plain Safety and Development Plan.

She said she hopes the meeting will foster a collective approach to address ongoing violence, but also to find ways in which they can collaborate.

“The meeting also aims to foster closer collaboration between the department, law enforcement agencies, community organisations, and local stakeholders to deal decisively with crime and make Mitchells Plain a safer community.”

This precedes yet another killing in nearby Eastridge on Thursday morning, where a man was shot and killed in a suspected gang-related attack on Buffalo Street. Police advised that the 37-year-old victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his head and was declared dead on the scene. No arrests have yet been made, and detectives are investigating a murder case.

“The discussion will focus on specific programmes which will be implemented to support our collective violence prevention efforts in Mitchells Plain. We’re hoping to get all community structures around the table,” said Kurt Nedft, acting spokesperson for MEC Marais.