“They failed us”: Gang violence victims demand justice from Parliament

A soldier during a joint oversight visit by the police and defence portfolio committees in Mitchells Plain on 14 August. The purpose of the visit was to monitor the progress of the Operation Prosper army deployment in Cape Town. Photos: Matthew Hirsch

• Cape Town mothers who have lost sons to gang violence said they had seen little justice. They pleaded with Parliament for protection at a parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday.
• Speakers also called for more support for youth programmes and community policing forums.
• The police committee chairperson said that while the most recent deployment of the army may be having an impact in some areas, crime was still rife in others.

“I don’t know what to say about the police … They failed us so much,” Jane Douglas from Atlantis, who lost two of her sons to gang violence, told Parliament’s police portfolio committee on Wednesday.

The summit on gang-related violence marks the first official meeting of Parliament’s inquiry into gang violence in Cape Town, following a mandate from the National Assembly adopted in November last year. Previous meetings concerned the terms of reference for the inquiry.

A report with findings, legislative proposals, and recommendations will be submitted to the National Assembly.

Douglas told a packed Good Hope Chamber that her son, Lizario, was a “very sweet boy”. He was killed by gangsters in 2021. He was 24. Her eldest son, Triston, was 26 when he was killed.

“It is so important for our parents to always look out for our children, to watch where they go, who they are with, and always check out their friends.”

She said she has not seen justice for her two children. “There was not even a court date,” she said.

Louisa Solomon, from Atlantis, told Parliament her son was cruelly killed in gang violence.

Louisa Solomon, from Atlantis, also lost her son to gang violence. She said he had turned his life around and stopped using drugs. She was proud of him for achieving this. But then, “his life was taken rudely from him,” she said.

Solomon broke down in tears as she recounted the story of how her son died from an assault.

“We’re not standing here to criticise [the police], but these things need to be spoken … it needs to be put to Parliament because this is where the power lies.”

“You’re supposed to look after us; you’re supposed to care for us. You’re not supposed to allow this gangsterism to thrive,” she said.

“We plead for justice. We plead for protection and for the partnership in the fight against gangsterism.”

Drugs, firearms and extortion

Mark Shaw of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said the fight against gangsterism should be de-politicised. He said that there has been an increase in gang violence in the Western Cape since 2020 and it is not limited to the metro.

“Gang leaders have become highly professional in laundering their finances and it requires a very sophisticated response from the state. There’s an enormous amount of money being made,” he said.

Several speakers said there was a need for more youth-centred programmes.

There were calls for more support for community police forums and neighbourhood watches.

The meeting also heard directly from police station commanders in Manenberg, Nyanga and Mitchells Plain. Drugs, firearms and extortion were seen as the main problems.

The committee’s chairperson, Ian Cameron (DA), said that while the most recent deployment of the army may be having an impact in some areas, crime was still rife in others.

“Temporary calm is not enough. The state must be able to protect communities and investigate the people driving the violence.

“Prosecute cases properly, remove illegal firearms, and prevent the next generation from being recruited [into gangs] once again,” he said.

He said gang violence was not solely a police problem. “There are so many departments that can play a significant role in this, and we need to recognise that,” said Cameron.

Cameron told GroundUp that there would be further community engagements and site visits as part of the inquiry. There will also be joint meetings with relevant departments and portfolio committees.

Sisanda Mguzulwa, from Khayelitsha, whose brother was killed, called for action to end gang violence.

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