In response to 13 people being killed in one weekend in Philippi East, Police Minister Bheki Cele today announced that the army will be deployed to the streets of Cape Town to combat rampant crime.
Cele told a media briefing on Thursday evening that he had tabled his budget vote in Parliament and President Cyril Ramaphosa immediately approved the deployment of the army.
Gangland murders is completely out of control in Cape Town. In June 2018, there were 344 alleged murder admissions in Cape Town and in June 2019, there were 448.
During his briefing in Parliament Cele said, “We are confronted with the sad reality of multiple burial activities in cemeteries, more than newborns in maternity wards.”
He added that the recurring scenes of scattered dead bodies in the streets of Phillippi, Mitchells Plain and Nyanga are unbearable. And challenged all generals in the South African police to surrender their uniforms if this situation does not improve.
With Cape Town’s reputation as the murder capital of South Africa, there is much work to be done.