Elsies River CPF concerned about increase in violent shootings

CAPE TOWN - The Elsies River Community Police Forum (CPF) in Cape Town says it's concerned about the increase in violent shootings in Leonsdale.
 
The CPF said after a long period of relative calm, three people were killed in the area recently.
 
Twenty-four-year-old Lameese Dammas is the latest victim of an alleged gang war that turned deadly earlier this week.
 
Three other people were shot and wounded in the same incident.
 
Elsies River CPF spokesperson Imraahn Mukaddam said the escalating tension in the area was worrying and has appealed for a ceasefire.
 
"We are not at the bottom of the root cause of this particular conflict, but we know that there's been hostilities between rival gangs in the area.

“But we also have a phenomenon where young people, because of the easy access to firearms and the prevalence of firearms, it's very easy to settle disputes with firearms. Therefore, it's imperative that we get these guns off the streets."

Mukaddam said extra police resources were deployed to the area, adding that the community should play its part to restore peace.

"We would want to see community members living in these high volatile areas become actively involved in peacekeeping, in resolving conflicts, because we believe our community has the ability to mediate conflict if they're properly resourced and properly trained. So, we are busy with a project of peace ambassadors in Elsies River."