The public imbizo meeting on Saturday April 12 at Lobelia hall was hosted by Mitchell’s Plain sub-district and Lentegeur SAPS police station. From left are Lentegeur Station Commander Colonel Umavathie Rameshwarnath, Lentegeur CPF chairperson Michael Jacobs, Strandfontein CPF chairperson Sandy Schuter and Mitchell’s Plain sub-district commissioner Brigadier Mark Hartzenberg.
Image: Marsha Bothma
Residents of Lentegeur have made their position clear: policing in the area is not working.
At a recent public meeting, they called for urgent, practical action from SAPS, saying communities are being left to fend for themselves while crime continues unchecked.
The imbizo on Saturday April 12 at Lobelia hall was hosted by Mitchell’s Plain sub-district and Lentegeur SAPS police station who brought police, community members, local leaders and councillors together to address the ongoing issues of crime, gang activity, and visible policing.
Residents used the platform to raise long-standing concerns about safety, unresolved cases, and what they see as a breakdown in trust between SAPS and the community.
A woman from Silvia Street, Lentegeur, who does not want to be named but is known to the Plainsman, said: “Where we reside, there are shootings from both sides. Our kids couldn’t even go to school at 7.10am. My own child lives in his house like a prisoner. Why do we have to live like this?”
Lentegeur resident Anthea Albertus shared a personal account involving her son. “He was shot a year ago and again in January. He’s now in a wheelchair and I’ve had to leave my job to care for him.”
She said attempts to follow up with SAPS have led nowhere. “We were sent up and down. Even with witnesses, nothing came of it. My late brother Michael Smith was also shot. The ambulance took two hours to get to him. He sadly passed on due to being shot. His case wasn’t even registered. We’ve had no counselling, no follow-up, and no visible neighbourhood watch in our area.”
Lentegeur station commander Colonel Umavathie Rameshwarnath said they would follow up the cases that were unresolved once accounted for at the meeting on Saturday.
She said Sector 2 (Lentegeur east) remains a key concern. “We need the community to continue being the eyes and ears. If you know something, contact us. Engage with us — you don’t have to reveal your identity.”
Pauline Perez from the Violence Prevention Unit in the Department of Health and Wellness highlighted the need for early intervention and multi-departmental involvement.
“Children aren’t born with guns in their hands. We need to shift focus to prevention — reach them before they drop out of school,” she said.
Norman Daniels, chairperson of the Lentegeur East Ratepayers' Association, criticised the lack of presence from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
“Learners are being recruited into gangs from school. That department should have been here.”
He also questioned why SAPS allowed spinning events to continue on a field previously deemed unsuitable. Colonel Ramesh responded: “Street spinning is against the law. SAPS does not benefit from it and does not support it.”
AB Isaacs, chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, said policing in the area lacks visible enforcement.
Image: Marsha Bothma
AB Isaacs, chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, said policing in the area lacks visible enforcement. “We don’t see stop-and-search operations often enough. There’s little to no neighbourhood watch presence in my area. Gunshots are a daily occurrence.”
In response, Colonel Ramesh said SAPS is reviewing where it is falling short and provided names of contact officers. Mitchell’s Plain sub-district commissioner Brigadier Mark Hartzenberg said a plan to secure and fence the problematic field covering Silvia Street, Nerine Street as well as Linaria Street in Lentegeur will be submitted with a deadline. “We won’t respond to every individual case raised here, but we are acting.”
Brigadier Hartzenberg said a recruitment drive for neighbourhood watch members is underway, stop-and-search operations will be stepped up, a knock-and-drop safety campaign will launch in May and SAPS is working to improve visibility and publicise successes. “Takedowns take time, but we are addressing the issues.”
Pictured standing is Nkosinati Caso, a resident from Mandalay who raised concerns about the way cases are transferred between stations.
Image: Marsha Bothma
Nkosinati Caso, a resident from Mandalay, said he brought his children and grandchildren to the meeting so they could witness the discussion firsthand. “What they see today will stay with them,” he said. He also raised concerns about the way cases are transferred between stations. Colonel Ramesh responded that jurisdiction often determines where a case is handled.