Parents put schools in lockdown

‘They are often places of refuge when gang violence takes place’

PARENTS and concerned residents locked down three of the four schools in Lavender Hill earlier this week, denying teachers and pupils access due to gang violence in the area.

The angry parents marched to their local police station demanding intervention on Wednesday afternoon.

Hillwood and Levana primary schools, as well as Lavender Hill High, were closed and guarded on Wednesday morning, with parents saying they did not want the schools to be opened due to gang violence over the past few days.

Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed the parents marched to the Steenberg police station on Wednesday, demanding intervention and peace.

“Parents and pupils marched to Steenberg police station yesterday in protest for peace. Police have intensified patrols around the schools in the area.”

The spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department, Millicent Merton, said officials were aware of the situation.

“We are aware of the alleged gang-related shootings taking place in Lavender Hill. The reality is that we are faced with the scourge of gangsterism, which is plaguing some of our communities.

“Unfortunately, in communities where gangsterism is prominent, it can sometimes spill into our schools,” Merton said.

“It is important to remember that due to the security measures the department has put in place in schools, they are very often places of refuge when gang violence takes place in the community. Often pupils report feeling safer at school than they do at home.”

Merton said the city’s Stabilisation Unit had been deployed to the area.

Ward councillor in Lavender Hill, Marita Petersen, said the area was “volatile, with bullets flying everywhere”.

“These are retaliation shootings between two gangs, and those suffering the most are our children and seniors,” Petersen said.