Police Minister Bheki Cele has vowed to spend a night in a Manenberg park to witness the criminal ongoings residents are complaining about.
Cele made the promise on Tuesday while visiting Manenberg residents who marched to Parliament several weeks ago calling for an end to the violence.
The group, known as Taking Back The Streets, have been lobbying for weeks for peace in the gang-ridden community following a recent flare-up of violence between rival gangs.
Since then they have hosted nightly vigils where they camp out in public spaces between the turfs of local gangs to prevent shootings.
Police Minister Bheki Cele signs Manenberg residents' memorandum. Picture: Monique Duval
After being handed a memorandum calling for more trained police officers, officers who are bilingual and assistance with their weekly marches, Cele said he was pleasantly surprised by the good work done by community leaders.
“I have been taken aback and very surprised by your project and campaign here,” he said.
“I am going to join the project of this community that is complaining less and talking more.
“Here is a community that is making a contribution.
“You have said to me that you will be occupying [for] one night a park and I am making a commitment that I will join you, but not when it is too cold and secondly there will have to be food like breyani.”
Addressing the memorandum, Cele referred the complaints to senior police officers who have now been tasked with responding.
However, some Manenberg residents were kwaad with Cele, saying the feedback session should have been held in a larger public space and not someone’s house.
Resident Gershwin Pekeur, 35, says: “They should have had this in a community centre so we can all hear because we are all affected.”