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Cape Town - The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Monday called for action against rampant gangsterism in the Western Cape town of Paarl and for an end to the “senseless violence” in the area.
The call came after violent clashes in the Lower Paarl area which saw a number of people injured and houses set alight.
SANCO national spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu said: “The senseless violence, as well as the reign of terror by drug lords, has destroyed the moral fibre of some of the communities that need to be freed from the cycle of violence and hopelessness.”
Mahlangu said that SANCO condemned the violence and said that youths, aged between 10 and 13, from the Chicago, Magnolia and Lantana flats were being blamed for the violence.
He said the Chicago area in Lower Paarl “must be a centre of hope for youth development and not a battleground for drug dealers and gangs who are fighting over territory”.
“Efforts to rid communities of gangsters need to be intensified to curb increasing learner drop out, escalating gang activities and violence that was prevalent in the Cape Flats but was seemingly spreading to other parts of the Cape.”
Mahlangu highlighted the need for police and communities to work together to eradicate the “destructive culture of gangsterism” and give youth hope and a future.
“No effort should be spared to achieve this and give children who are growing up in these communities a chance to live in a drug-free and safe environment,” he said.
African News Agency