CAPE TOWN - Residents from Hanover Park on the Cape Flats are pleading for intervention from police as a local gang holds them hostage with gunfire.
A gang war broke out in the area at the weekend, with infighting in the Ghetto’s gang.
Videos of gangsters openly firing on each other have been widely circulated across social media platforms.
In the videos gangsters could be seen running openly with their firearms, shooting non-stop.
Residents, including children, are seen running and taking cover.
Residents in the area have referred to their beloved hometown as a “war zone”.
The gang war has been raging intermittently since the former alleged gang boss, Faizel “Sheikh” Manuel died last year.
It is believed he died from natural causes.
The gang war was sparked again after Sheikh’s son, Esa “Hadjie” Manuel was gunned down last week.
Speaking to IOL, sources in the underworld claim there is infighting in the Ghetto’s gang.
“There is a power struggle between the members of the Ghetto’s. With Sheikh gone, Hadjie took command. But now, Hadjie is also gone. Who is going to take command?
“This is but the start of things to come,” a source said.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a resident who has lived in the area for over 30 years says she fears for her life.
The grandmother of two said her blood pressure increases when her grandchildren leave for school because there is no guarantee they will survive the trip back home.
“I used to love this area. A real community, but gangsters have since tarnished the community we have built for ourselves.
“At the weekend, there was so much shooting I thought I was going to get a heart attack.
“Every time shots ring out we have to lie under the table because you never know when a stray bullet could hit you. It has happened before, we have seen and read about it.
“I don’t mind dying at the hands of these heartless gangsters (and they will kill me) but my biggest fear is the safety of my grandchildren.
“How many times do we hear of children just heading to the shop, school being struck by a bullet and dying? We cannot live like this. We need some sort of help,” the fearful woman explained.
Another resident said residents need police intervention.
“When the gangsters are shooting there are no police.
“They come once the shooting is done.
“We understand they are also fearful, who wouldn’t be, but this is their job.
“We need to be protected. We are not safe. We need police heavyweights to intervene,” he told IOL.
The community policing forum’s (CPF) Ebrahiem Abrahams told IOL they are trying their best but there is not much they can do without police.
“We cannot work as we want to otherwise we will be seen as a vigilante group.
“There is a need for police intervention. After everything has cooled off then you will see (police) vans,” Abrahams said.
Earlier this month, crime fighters in the area marched to their local police station calling for an intervention.
“We took them (local police station) to province (headquarters) but to date we have not yet received any feedback.
“Things are still tense in the area but there has not yet been another shooting since Monday,” Abrahams told IOL.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed a shooting incident on Sunday.
“According to our crime reports, a 22-year-old man was shot and wounded on Sunday at around 2pm in Rywood Walk in Hanover Park by an unknown suspect who is yet to be arrested.
“The circumstances of the attempted murder are under investigation,” Traut said.
Police did not respond to any other questions posed by IOL.
IOL