Fears of all-out gang war after ‘bloody’ weekend in Elsies River

Community safety organisations are alarmed by a surge in gang-related violence and crime after a “bloody” weekend in which at least six people died in Elsies River, Cape Town.

Elsies River safety initiative chief Hamish Arries voiced concern about a lack of proactive policing by the police service and law enforcement agencies, despite the promise of reinforcements in the area.  

CEO of Inspire Network and former Elsies River community policing forum (CPF) spokesperson Imraahn Mukaddam told TimesLIVE on Tuesday the CPF had been dissolved.  

“The new CPF election outcome is under review so there is no functioning CPF in Elsies River. We are speaking as community representatives concerned about crime in our area,” said Mukaddam.  

“The dissolution of the Elsies River CPF has paralysed community safety structures, leaving residents without a voice to convey concerns. The femicide [on Monday] of a prominent community leader's daughter in Epping Forest adds to the distress experienced in our community. Gender-based violence remains as heinous a crime as gangsterism that is specially decimating our youth.”  

Police spokesperson Capt FC van Wyk said a murder case was registered at Elsies River police station after a 42-year-old woman was stabbed at an address in Epping Forest.  

“A 48-year-old male handed himself over to police. He was arrested and detained and will appear in the Goodwood magistrate's court on Wednesday,” said Van Wyk.  

Arries appealed to provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembisile Patekile to resolve the issues around the CPF, cautioning that a full-scale gang war was looming and “all hands are needed on deck”.  

He said “The low intensity civil war on the Cape Flats should be declared a disaster and a state of emergency should be declared in high violence areas for police to have extraordinary powers and resources to quell the endemic carnage and bloodshed.”

TimesLIVE