Good Party calls for urgent crime intervention on the Cape Flats
Ongoing shootings in various areas and a raging gang war in Ottery, Lotus River and Grassy Park have left dozens dead, with no end to the violence in sight.
FILE: An apartment building is seen in the Cape Flats area of Cape Town, on March 30, 2020. Picture: AFP/Pieter Bauermeister
CAPE TOWN - The Good Party is calling on the City of Cape Town to urgently address escalating crime in the Cape Flats.
Ongoing shootings in various areas and a raging gang war in Ottery, Lotus River and Grassy Park have left dozens dead, with no end to the violence in sight.
Good Party Spokesperson Janke Tolmay said the city must admit that there is no evidence that the Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP) initiative is successful in reducing violent crime.
"The recent surge in senseless killings has once proven that the current policing system and crime-fighting efforts are failing the law-abiding residents... the root causes of crime continue to be ignored and not effectively tackled," said Tolmay.
READ: Former gangster laments brutality of gang violence gripping Cape Flats
Tolmay said to combat crime effectively, it is essential to strengthen partnerships with neighborhood watches and community policing forums.
"Initiatives like LEAP have not yielded the promised results, and those in charge not only refuse to admit this failure but decided to fund it with money meant for education and health, further putting our youth at risk," she said.
Meanwhile, the city has urged residents to come forward with information to assist in hunting down suspects related to the recent shootings in Ottery.