GOOD Party blasts SAPS, cites 'systematic neglect' after child killed and two wounded in Cloetesville shootings

The GOOD party in Stellenbosch has weighed in on recent shootings where two minors were wounded and a 14-year-old boy was killed in Cloetesville, calling them a tragic reminder of the daily dangers faced by ordinary families.

A 14-year-old boy was shot dead in Sylvia Street, Cloetesville, last Thursday.

On Sunday evening, a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were wounded when they got caught in the crossfire of a gang-related shooting.

The GOOD party's Robin Hendrikse said the situation is no longer tolerable.

“Daylight gang shootings, house robberies, armed muggings of workers on their way to work, and the extortion of residents along their normal travel routes have become disturbingly common, despite repeated promises from South African Police Service of effective intervention strategies.”

She's accused government of failing the communities.

“While we acknowledge that crime prevention is primarily a SAPS competency, it is deeply dishonest to ignore the root causes of crime. Violent crime does not arise in a vacuum. It is driven by deepening poverty, chronic unemployment, and the systematic neglect of vulnerable communities.”