Safety Forum takes to the street
THE WESTERN Cape Safety Forum took to the streets on Freedom Day to picket outside Parliament.
The community of Mitchells Plain and Manenberg marched from Keizersgracht to Parliament to hand over a memorandum to the Police Minister Fikile Mbalula.
While marching there were chants of “Crime must fall!” from angry residents and also “Enough is enough!” The crowd held banners of children who lost their lives in crimes in their communities.
There was a visible police presence at the parliamentary precinct.
Roegshanda Pascoe, CPF chairperson of Manenberg said this march was only the beginning.
“For us this is not a political march, it’s a march for the people and by the people. Most of the parents here today have lost their children through either rape or gangsterism,” she said.
Among those marching was Denver Pelton, father of Dylan Pelton, 18, who was shot in Bonteheuwel in December.
“My son died for what? The gangsters just take our children,” he said.
The bereaved father said he was participating in the march because he demanded justice for his child.
“We want the death penalty to come back! We are here for justice.
“Parliament must give us justice.”
He said that since his son died, his life had changed dramatically and he was still mourning.
Right2Know spokesperson, Busi Mtabane, said: “We are here today to call on the government to do something about the issue of violence in our communities.”
Also present at the march was Cosatu’s Western Cape provincial secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, who said communities needed to stand up.
“One thing we all need to be aware of when we gather, is that it does not matter where we stay, our stories are the same. It’s our children that are killed and that’s why we come together today,” he said. –