'Urban terror' in Cape Town: residents seek urgent action

WITH an escalation in mass murders in Mitchells Plain, activists, politicians and community forums are scratching their heads on what to do to end the carnage, with some calling for the army to be deployed while others want a commission of inquiry to be established to get the root causes of the gang violence.

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

Abie Isaacs, chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, said the ongoing crisis is nothing short of “urban terror” and warns that residents are living in a state of fear while gangs tighten their grip on neighbourhoods.

“Our teams are out there 24 hours. Yes, we are still persistent and calling on the SANDF to stabilise and normalise the area,” Isaacs said. “We're dealing with urban terror, as we are calling it.”

Isaacs said violence in hotspots such as Beacon Valley, Portlands, Westridge and Rocklands cannot simply be attributed to isolated domestic disputes as previously suggested by SAPS.

“It clearly isn’t initiation. It is not a family dispute, like the Police Commissioner alleges. We know what is needed — all we need is backup,” he said.