Anti-crime coalition urges SAPS to reach out to communities infested with gang violence

The Cape Crime Crises Coalition has urged the South African Police Service (SAPS) to strengthen relationships with residents and community organisations in gang-infested areas.

Members of the coalition and its stakeholders met with the acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, on Friday to discuss the new plan as gang-related shootings in Cape Town continue unabated.

A statistic presented in parliament shows 490 gang-related deaths have been recorded in the province since April, and 23 of them under the age of 18 and five under the age of 14.

Cachalia presented the plan to Parliament's select committee on security and justice earlier this week.

The Cape Crime Crises Coalition’s chairperson, Llewellyn Macmaster, said: "We strongly feel that communities should be engaged in the design of the plan."

Macamster added that the coalition will be monitoring SAPS as the plan unfolds.

"We will be watching. We will be waiting on saps to involve us more."

Macmaster said the provincial government also needs to step up to address societal issues that fuel gangsterism.