Cape Town - As mass shootings continue to spiral out of control in the Western Cape, former top police officials and crime activists indicate that the latest tender issued for a new armoured troop carrier, Mobile Adjustable Rescue/ Assault System (MARS) vehicle which can carry 12 police officers may not be the answer to gun violence.
Last month, Western Cape saw two mass shootings, one in Atlantis, which left five people dead and five injured while in Bishop Lavis seven people were killed and another wounded.
Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile ordered the Anti-Gang Unit detectives be assigned in hunting down the gunmen while it is believed both shootings are gang related.
Tender submissions came to an end last month as the SAPS issued a tender for their new MARS which can transport 12 police members.
According to the defence website, the vehicle would have an ergo-metric internal height of minimum 1.8 metres.
It is understood the vehicle can be used in dangerous zones where a driver and co-driver can be behind the wheel and should be able to withstand bullets such as from assault rifles or even AK-47's. Or hand grenades and must possess an emergency exit and allow space for equipment.
This week, Kamogelo Mogotsi, spokesperson for Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu said they could not comment on the matter as it was related to the Department when questioned about the tender.
National Police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe did not respond to queries. Former top police officer, Major General, Jeremy Vearey who is part of the steering committee for Cape Crisis Coalition said the MARS vehicle would be an optimistic approach but that more strategy was needed.
“The MARS vehicle was designed for armoured mobile combat in an urban setting as the ‘assault' part in its title suggests. Its use should be evaluated against the growing securocratic view that the Cape Flats need to be treated as a combat zone demanding militarised incursions against gangs with counter insurgency tactics. Next we'll be fortifying police stations as redoubts instead of service points for community policing.
“A similar thing happened in South Central Los Angeles with the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) and the rest is police failure history.
“This recourse is often the sign of a lack of operational and strategic thinking in dealing with the gang problem, hence every challenge is a nail that needs a hammer to deal with it.”
Crime activists, Fight Against Crime said the lack of resources at police stations had to be addressed before a new artillery vehicle was being considered.
“While we welcome anything to further capacitate our SAPS, it's unlikely a purchase of this vehicle will have an impact on crime in the Cape Flats or Crime in general,” they said.
“Often, when we request SAPS to assist on crime scenes, they'll respond with having only one vehicle available for that shift in that precinct or no vehicles at all
“We think instead of buying an armoured vehicle, the money could rather be better spent on resourcing SAPS at a station level.”
Angus Mckenzie, ward councillor for the Bishop Lavis community which is still reeling with shock following the mass shooting said more skills and resources were needed than that of another combat vehicle.
“We do not need more vehicles, the police's greatest ability is to waste money, money which should be directed to upskilling policemen and women, providing officers with better basic resources to just be able to perform their service to the community.
“This proposed tender will not provide the desired intelligence that is so desperately sought. It boggles my mind that SAPS wants to buy a vehicle to transport 12 police officers yet those same officers don't have communications devices, they don't have proper bullet proof vests.”