Gangsters disrupt housing marchers

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

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 co-ordinator 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 suggested plans of action included disarming gangsters and burying their weapons.

"There is strong feeling among the women that they have to put their foot down to bring the gang violence to an end," he said, adding that there would be another attempt at a march.

"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 streets from gangsterism," he said.

"We spoke to them and we said we love them, but we can't allow them to hurt us continuously," said September.

"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.