Gangsters' gunfire forces Manenberg women to abandon housing march

29 March 2017 - 20:09 By Aron Hyman
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Image: iStock

A community gathering aimed at addressing a housing problem in a Cape Town suburb was thwarted on Wednesday by gang violence.

Members of the Manenberg Women’s League planned to march to the municipal rent office to demand that title deeds be handed over to leaseholders‚ but gunfire sent them scattering.

League coordinator Amelia September and Proudly Manenberg administrator Mario Wanza then led a handful of league members to smaller meetings in the community’s various “courts”‚ each of which contains scores of homes.

Wanza said community members suggested plans of action including disarming gangsters and burying the weapons in a hole dug by the community.

“There is strong feeling among the women that they have to put their foot down now to bring the gang violence to an end‚” he said‚ adding that another attempt to stage the march would be held on Tuesday.

“Besides going to the rent office‚ the parents are going to start clamping down on the guys who are running around with guns so we can start reclaiming our courts and our streets from gangsterism‚” he said.

September said Wednesday’s meetings were attended by gangsters. “We spoke to them and we said we love them‚ but we can't allow them to hurt us continuously‚” she said.

“They understand that we'll get together in our action‚ we'll speak to the other guys later who we didn't get to today. They're our children.”

She said the power of women in the community was growing. “If we don't do it‚ no-one will do it for us.”

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now