Statement by the City’s Executive Mayor,
Alderman Patricia de Lille
Deployment of additional law enforcement officers in
Manenberg paves the way for violence-free exams
Die Stad se ontplooiing van bykomende wetstoepassingsbeamptes in
Manenberg het gelei tot ’n afname in bendegeweld in dié omgewing.
Eksamens sal dus nie deur geweld belemmer word nie.
As part of this administration’s commitment to building a Safe and
responsive City, the City of Cape Town has bolstered its law enforcement
presence in Manenberg to fight the upsurge in gang violence since August
this year.
At the height of the upsurge, the City deployed 109 additional law
enforcement officers to the area to assist with efforts to curb gang
violence, in particular the safeguarding of schools identified as ‘high risk’.
To date 40 Metro Police officers, eight Traffic Officers, and 71 Law
Enforcement Officers have been involved in proactive and visible policing,
along with other specialised City units and the South African Police
Services, to enhance the safety of residents and learners in the area.
This has included maintaining high visibility during school hours, with 42
law enforcement staff guarding 14 schools, as well as a strong presence
along access routes to and from the schools to ensure a safe passage for
learners.
As a direct result of this proactive intervention, gang violence in
Manenberg has decreased, thereby creating a conducive environment for
our learners, in particular our matriculants, to focus exclusively on their
studies without the added burden of worrying about violent activities in
their community.
This deployment will remain in force until the end of the academic year to
ensure that our learners continue to learn in a violence-free environment.