Cape Town communities say they won't be held hostage by gangsters

CAPE TOWN - Cape Town's Elsies River community and surrounding areas said they will not be held hostage by gangsters.

Thousands of residents took to the streets in the suburbs on Sunday, demanding an end to child murders.

They also held a mass prayer.

ALSO READ: 'This is not our war': Elsies River resident says they're living in fear after teen boy killed

The suburbs of Elsies River, Bishop Lavis, Ravensmead, and Uitsig have elected a delegation to negotiate peace between gang rivals.  

Residents said they can no longer be bystanders to the violence.

They're still reeling after 14-year-old Grantham Jamiel van Reenen was shot and killed while on his way to school three weeks ago.

A member of the negotiating delegation, Adam Alexander, said they're slowly making progress, but it's not easy.

“What I can say is that the most thing we have to deal with now it's the fourth gang. That's the people that don't have leaders. So, you don't have leaders. They stepped out of the leadership to form another part of a gang, then that's the common thing that we have to deal with - that's a challenge."

Alexander said their march and mass prayer are the start of efforts to regain control of their communities.