#AntiGangUnit ready to clamp down on gangsterism following official launch by th…

#AntiGangUnit ready to clamp down on gangsterism following official launch by the President of South Africa.

To address the problem of gangsterism, especially in the Western Cape, thousands of Hanover Park community members attended the official launch of the Anti-Gang Unit at the Downberg Sports Field, Hanover Park, Western Cape on Friday, 2 November 2018.

The proceedings began with the President of South Africa, Mr CM Ramaphosa and the Minister of Police, Mr BH Cele, interacting with members of the community while walking around the gang hotspots.

“The Anti-Gang Unit is an indication that government has heard the pleas of the citizens who are crippled with fear because of gangsterism, and government is now acting to tackle the problem head on”, said President Ramaphosa at the launch of the Anti-Gang Unit. Hanover Park is one of several gang hotspots in the country.

President Ramaphosa said gangsterism was synonymous with various social ills, not just the drug trade, but also human trafficking, smuggling and a host of other illegal activities. Gangsters were also involved in murder and rampant criminality, robbing citizens of their Constitutional right to live in safety. Schools, libraries and community centres have closed their doors and public transportation has shut down.

“We cannot allow this to continue happening. Today our communities, working together with the SA Police Service, are taking back their streets. Today we say the streets of Hanover Park no longer belong to the gangsters.
They belong to the people of Hanover Park. We declare today to the gangsters that we are not afraid of you. In fact, we are coming after you.

We are going to pursue you, we are going to chase you down. We are going to find you in every little corner where you are hiding, and we are going to take our lives back. Our police are coming after you,” he said.
President Ramaphosa further explained that the government heard the pain and suffering that the community had to bear because of the criminality of the gangs operating in the area. He assured them that the Anti-gang Units were there to break the hold that these criminals had over community members by robbing them of their freedom and family members, through fear and intimidation.

“The government is aware of your situation and it is there to act against all illegal activities in the area to ensure your right to freedom of movement as promised by the Constitution of South Africa, before sending a warning to the gangs that they will be hunted down,” said President Ramaphosa.

President Ramaphosa urged the community to assist law enforcement by providing information about gang activities, even when it involved family members.
“This is the only way of ensuring your safety and that of your children, so that they can walk to school safely without the fear of being raped, kidnapped or shot at. We are here to protect you. Down with gangsters, down!” the President said.

The National Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, explained that the Anti-Gang Unit was part of operationalising the National Anti-Gangsterism Strategy, which had been approved by Cabinet.

The unit is made up of members from specialised units and aimed to dislodge and terminally weaken the capacity of the gangs wherever they were prevalent, all over the country. It aimed to disorganise and fundamentally disable the criminal economy linked to gangsterism, including drug and firearm supply lines and other identified commodities.
The unit has been functional since October 2018, and has been deployed in the Nyanga, Bonteheuwel and Bishop Lavis clusters in the Western Cape. It will continue to be fully functional in the Peninsula area until communities in the greater Western Cape experience a return to normality. The President said the unit will also be deployed to other provinces that are gangster hotspots, like Gauteng.
At the launch, members of the unit formed part of the Parade of the Guard of Honour and all the integrated law enforcement agencies that saluted the President.
President Ramaphosa unveiled the first batch that will form part of about 50 vehicles that will be deployed to gang hotspots, including Hanover Park.

“When gang wars flare, it is the innocent who suffer. It is the innocent 20-year-old boy who was looking after his mother and caring for his father, who is shot. An innocent young boy who was doing good work, who had given his life to caring not only for his family, but caring for others as well, and working with Gift of the Givers. A young boy’s life is cut to shreds because of acts of criminality.”

“The men and women in blue are going to be coming for you, they will arrest you and put you where you belong – behind bars. That is where we are going to find you. It is a priority for South Africa’s law enforcement and prosecuting authorities to ensure that gang activity is disrupted and it is stopped,” he said.

The Acting Divisional Commissioner for Visible Policing, Lt Gen SJ Jephta, thanked the community who indicated their appreciation and support to the launch of the unit.
She highlighted the importance of the partnership between them and the SAPS to rid the area of all gang activities, before she expressed appreciation to the President and the Minister of Police.

The Premier of the Western Cape, Ms H Zille, also welcomed the deployment of the units tasked to bring back stability to Hanover Park and other Western Cape communities that are targeted by gangs. She urged the community to play their part in curbing gang activity in their area by forming partnerships with the Integrated Law Enforcement Agencies and Anti-Gang Units in the area.
The proceedings were concluded with a parachute jump, fly-past by the SAPS’s Air Wing, and displays demonstrating the effectiveness of the specialised units of the SAPS.

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