Lentegeur was “calm, but tense” yesterday and today as children returned to school. This follows a surge of deadly shootings at the weekend in which four people were killed in suspected gang warfare.
Glenda Arendse of the Sector 2 neighbourhood watch said members had increased their patrols since yesterday (22 July) when schools reopened.
“We try to take the children to school safely,” she said. “The principals have asked us to be more visible when the children are going to and from school.”
Councillor Avron Plaaitjies said the City had also increased patrols.
“This morning (22 July) I met with the management of Lentegeur police regarding the recent flare-up in gang-related violence in our community. I can confirm that the City of Cape Town will deploy additional resources to support the South African Police Service, the lead agency in crime prevention, in their efforts to restore calm and stability, especially with the reopening of the new school term.”
He said the police were leading targeted operations in the area.
“I urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. We will not allow criminals to terrorise our neighbourhood. Together we will reclaim our streets.”
Community Police Forum chair Michael Jacobs said the area was “calm, but tense” after four people were shot dead and another was injured in three separate shootings on Sunday night and Monday morning.
According to Lentegeur Police Station spokesperson Const Navon van Houten a woman was shot in the head in Woodlands, which abuts Lentegeur, early Sunday evening.
Two hours later police responded to reports of another shooting in Lentegeur, where a woman and man were shot in the head “multiple times” and another person was rushed to hospital by ambulance. He said the motive in the second shooting was gang-related.
The next morning there was another deadly gang-related shooting in Salvia Street, Lentegeur.
“An American gang member was shot dead,” Van Houten said.
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