Youth march against gun violence in Samora Machel

The youth of Ward 33 in Samora Machel marched to their local police station on Saturday, June 14, to deliver a memorandum that advocates for the eradication of crime against youth.

They expressed concern about the trend of murders of youth at the barrel of a gun.

Ward 33 youth development forum chairperson, Sango Picane, said the rate at which young people are being killed by guns is a serious cause of concern.

Mr Picane called on police and the government to prioritise eradicating guns. 

“We have embarked on a peaceful march against crime. We all know that crime is phenomenal and kills our people. A few days ago, six young people were killed through the barrel of a gun. We are saying as young people and people in general, let us silence the gun. It is time for youth to rise and unite against crime,” he said, adding that he was happy that one of the area’s former residents and now a well-known deejay, "Mr Thela", was part of the march.

The marchers were led through the streets of Vlei and Samora Machel by the police and law enforcement before heading to the police station.

It started peacefully at the Vlei with marshals controlling the crowd and ended at Samora Machel police station, where short speeches were made before handing off the memorandum.

The memorandum requested the removal of illegal guns and the creation of job opportunities for young people. 

The memorandum was given to Samora Machel station commander Lieutenant Colonel Thembisile Senaya in the presence of the City of Cape Town representative Anda Ntsodo.

Receiving the memorandum, Lieutenant Colonel Senaya said he would forward it to the office of Nyanga sub-district.

Xolani Joja, spokesperson of the Community Policing Forum (CPF), took a swipe at the lack of security in the area, saying that the lack of proper security has resulted in a loss of lives.

Mr Joja condemned all sorts of criminality in all areas. He called on the communities to stand up and work with police to fight crime.

He said police alone can never defeat crime.

A victim of crime in the area, who asked not to be named for fear of harassment, said she supported the march because she felt that police are not doing their job.

She said she was robbed of her belongings right in front of the police station, but the police did nothing and instead questioned her.

She hoped that the march would do something in police consciousness.

“We know police will never fight crime alone. But I feel that they are not doing their part. There are instances where you could feel they are failing the community. These people need to know that their job is to guard and protect the community,” she said.

One resident only said, “We are saying no to any form of crime in our area. We have seen young people dying carelessly. That has to stop. The only way we should be dealing with this situation is to involve everyone in the community in the fight against such crimes,” he said.

Police were given an ultimatum of seven working days to respond to the demand of young people. The march was attended by more than one hundred young people and some seniors.

Lieutenant Colonel Senaya said while the community perceived police as not doing their jobs, they were trying their best.

"We are doing our best and that is why Samora Machel is a better place. Not everyone would be happy and commend us. We have been dealing with a lot of shebeens and you will find that those who say police are not working are angry," she said.