CAPE TOWN – Residents from Lavender Hill took to the streets yesterday and handed over a memorandum calling for peace and proper police management in the area among other things.
Residents say they have had enough of the gang violence and are calling for change in management at the police stations serving their community – Steenberg and Muizenberg police stations.
With Police Minister Bheki Cele in Cape Town, residents hoped to hand over the memorandum to him.
Community activist Lucinda Evans said the peaceful march was about ensuring a quality of life for the sons and daughters of Lavender Hill.
“We want to hand over the memorandum to Cele, Premier Alan Winde and MEC of Community Safety and Police Oversight Reagen Allen. I know Cele is in Cape Town as he was in Gugulethu.
“The minister of police has not given any attention to the Cape Flats or the Western Cape. This is about the quality of life for our sons and daughters.
“We are expecting a 72-hour turnaround time for our demands. We have had enough,” Evans, who was leading the march, said.
The march started from Steenberg police station where residents posted their demands on the fence of the station.
As the group walked through the streets they were chanting “enough is enough” and called for peace.
Children could be seen carrying placards calling for an “end to the genocide”, as gang wars claimed innocent lives in the area in a weekly basis.
Evans said eight years ago, ministers in the government promised the community better leadership at Steenberg police station which, she said, was being run by incompetent officers.
“There is no relationship (between) the community and this station. We are giving the minister 72 hours to remove the management and bring us a brigadier with anti-gang unit experience.
“Bring us the brigadier who has worked with the narrative in the gang context; that is one of our demands. That is but one of our many demands,” Evans added.
While residents were hoping to hand over the memorandum, it was accepted by Allen.