Persistent gun violence plagues Cape Town despite military intervention

Gun violence in Cape Town has not abated, despite the deployment of the army to help police combat gang conflict.

Since Wednesday last week, more than 200 soldiers have joined police operations in the city’s crime hotspots, but so far, only two arrests for the illegal possession of a firearm in Elsies River have been reported.

There were, however, numerous shootings, with nearly 40 people killed and at least 48 others wounded over the past 10 days.

On Wednesday night, a 37-year-old soldier was shot dead in Delft, but police confirmed he was not involved with the anti-crime deployment initiative.

A six-year-old girl on Thursday became the latest victim of gun violence in Cape Town.

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She was treated in hospital after she was shot in the head, having been caught in the crossfire of gang violence in Valhalla Park, in Bishop Lavis.

Last week, that same neighbourhood saw the arrival of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to its policing precinct.

The Bishop Lavis Crime Prevention Forum’s Graham Lindhorst said it appeared the army deployment was having no effect on violent crime.

"There were shootings, mass shootings and killings as well in the midst of the deployment of these force multipliers under the auspice of Operation Prosper," said Lindhorst.

Lindhorst added that the affected communities required real change and not a "drive-through or parade".