The deployment of extra officials from the provincial government, police interventions and a visit by Police Minister Bheki Cele seems to have had an impact on the spike in gang violence in Manenberg.
With no less than 10 people having been gunned down in the area in a matter of days, the flare-up has residents on edge.
The reason behind the surge is suspected to be a turf war between two rival gangs.
Residents, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, say the area has a gang problem, but the bloodshed is unnecessary.
“I have been living in Manenberg for 30 years and we have always had gangsterism, but these days it just seems like they shoot to shoot. No reasons,” says the father.
“Youth are being pulled into gangsterism and it is the young people who are dying at the hands of other young people. Why are they killing each other?” he asks.
On Thursday 17 March, Cele did a street imbizo with police management in Heideveld and Manenberg as well as Khayelitsha following a spike in killings in the areas over the same time period.
During his visit, Cele assured residents that the increased police presence will remain in place until police are satisfied that safety and stability have been restored to the areas.
Additional officers have been deployed to Manenberg as force multipliers and will add to the Anti Gang Unit members that are stationed in the area, focusing on gang-related crimes.
“Police are also making inroads in the daily operations focusing on this area, they have so far arrested over 40 people since the start of the weekend – a total of 23 of these arrests are for murder. I also call on this community and the police to continue to improve their working relations. Taking action together will ensure the space for gangs and their criminal ways will be squeezed out and with more boots on the ground, these streets will once again be safe for children to play on,” Cele says in a statement.
To help bolster crime-fighting initiatives, the provincial government has also deployed Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers to the area.
Premier Alan Winde and acting Community Safety Minister Anaroux Marais visited Manenberg to meet with police management on the unrest.
LEAP officers were deployed from Friday 11 March, as part of the LEAP Reaction Unit, which are assisting police, along with other stakeholders, including the Department of Community Safety, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Asset Forfeiture Unit.
