The Minister of Police spoke about South Africa that as a “war zone” but the truth is the real war zone is in the Western Cape - more specifically the Cape Flats. Some 370 women, 219 boys and 60 girls died last year in the province.
People live in constant fear not only for their own lives but more worryingly the lives of their children. It struck me recently that it has become normal for parents to have “the talk” with their children in the township areas of Cape Town.
That “talk” is how to evade gun fire and where to hide when rival gangs fight each other in the streets of the community. Schools don’t offer safe havens as criminals have taken complete hold of our community.
The old saying holds true that “violence begets violence”, as children are encouraged to join gangs - leading to even more bloodshed.
The Minister of Police and his party have allowed the onslaught in our community to continue due to the chronic underfunding and staffing of police stations on the Flats. It should not be normal for us to live in a war zone and we must now demand extra resources in our community and other “war zones” around the Cape.
* Anthony Willemse, Woodstock.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.