EMS, city staff ’s gang violence warning scare

‘Police must be creative to ensure communities are safer’

THE city council and the Health Emergency Medical Services have advised their staff to be vigilant after gang violence flared up in Parkwood and Manenberg.

Director of the EMS in the Western Cape Shaheem de Vries said they received confirmation from the police that calm had been restored in Parkwood.

Services returned to the area as they were unable to render them.

“At the weekend it was too volatile for our staff to work in Parkwood.

“In Manenberg we can only work during the day, and as the area was marked as one of the red zones we will only be able to go in at night under escort. Even though the staff can work during the day, they need to be alert as anything can happen,”said De Vries.

A 27-year-old man was shot dead in Ivy Road, Parkwood, by an unknown suspect.

A 37-year-old was shot dead in Hoosain Parkers Road in Parkwood by an unknown suspect on Sunday.

In Manenberg, three suspects have been arrested.

Yesterday, a 22-year-old was arrested for a shooting in Manenberg in which one person was wounded.

Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said: “The situation in Parkwood is under control. However, additional members are deployed during identified periods to maintain law and order in the area.

“Between Monday and Tuesday six suspects were arrested on charges of murder, attempted murder and the possession of an unlicensed firearm.”

Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said that in Manenberg there were about four streets that were affected, and over the past four days shot spotters recorded 69 gunfire incidents with 210 shots fired.

“Resources were reallocated to assist the SAPS in Manenberg as the situation was worsening. The city council does not have the shotspotter technology deployed in Parkwood or Grassy Park.

“The system is deployed only in Manenberg and Hanover Park. City staff have been advised to be careful in the areas mentioned, but there has not been a withdrawal of services,” said Smith.

Grassy Park community policing forum spokesperson Philip Bam said gangsters could not hold communities hostage.

“The community called the police after witnessing people running around with guns.

“The sad fact is that the guns are still in our communities and the police need to do something to get them out.”

Bam said although the community was sharing information with the police, giving them tip-offs, “this is still not enough and something drastic needs to be done to get the guns off the streets”.

“Our community isn’t safe and it is the responsibility of the police to ensure that the community is kept safe.

“That is their mandate. If what they have been doing so far is not working, then surely they need to get more creative to ensure our communities are safer,” he said.