Cape town's call for military intervention amid rising violence
In Cape Town, a major city in the Republic of South Africa, a series of brutal attacks occurred within just 48 hours, resulting in six deaths and twelve injuries. Residents are now calling for military intervention.
According to local police, five young men were shot and killed on Friday evening, and then their bodies were burnt inside a car.
On Sunday, a hospital in Cape Town reported receiving another gunshot victim, who unfortunately succumbed to their injuries. On Friday evening, in the suburb of Lotus River, eight people were shot during a memorial service. The service was held in memory of one of the previously shot gangsters.
Increase in violence in Cape Town
In the past week in Cape Town, a city popular with tourists, over ten people have died. The rise in gun violence has prompted civic groups to call for the military to be deployed onto the city's streets.
A local police spokesperson, Rafique Foflonker, emphasised that "shooting so many people in a single day is not just a crime statistic - it is a stark reminder of the ongoing violence that instils fear in our neighbourhoods."
Jay Jay Idel, a representative of the South African non-governmental organisation Fight Against Crime SA (FACSA), criticised the perceived helplessness of the police, government, and president.
"While President Cyril Ramaphosa was delivering a state of the nation address, envisioning a bright future, gang wars were raging just 12 miles away," he said.
On Friday, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, in his address to the nation, assured that one of the authorities' priorities for 2025 would be to reduce gun violence.
