Gang violence uptick: Mitchells Plain residents call for increased police presence

CAPE TOWN - Residents of Mitchells Plain are calling for increased police presence and better protection as gang violence continues to escalate in the area.

This follows a community march led by anti-crime group PAGAD (People Against Gangsterism and Drugs), where locals voiced frustration, saying they’ve had enough.

The area has seen a spike in shootings over recent weeks, with gunfire becoming a frequent sound in the neighbourhood.

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Speaking to Eyewitness News on condition of anonymity, one resident described the daily reality: "It can be 3 o'clock in the morning, and then you’ll hear random gunshots going off, and there was an evening where it was about 6 o'clock, and my mom is coming home, and she just saw people running around the roads with guns."

The resident added that police need to take more decisive action to restore safety in the community.

"It’s honestly horrendous what’s happening in the area, I’ve lived in Mitchells Plain for all my life and I don’t think I’ve seen it in a worse condition as it is now. I hope that the police and the government can just do more to kind of crack down on the gun violence so that no more people have to lose their lives."