There are 15 known gangs operating in Helenvale alone.
This is according to Gelvandale police station commander Brigadier Phillip Macala, who spoke at a meeting with DA Eastern Cape premier candidate Nqaba Bhanga and DA parliamentary chief whip John Steenhuisen, who is also the party’s Team One SA crime spokesperson.
They met with police after visiting the family of 17-year-old Zavier Jassen, who was shot dead in Gelvandale last week.
According to the police station’s crimes information analyst, Warrant Officer Michael Terblanche, Helenvale contributed the most crime in the Gelvandale police precinct.
“Each and every time there is an incident [killing of a gang member], there will be a retaliation. On September 13, a gang leader by the name of Oubaas was killed – and the killings escalated from there.
“There are nine reported murders that are gang-related as of [then],” Macala said.
The SAPS gave an overview presentation comprising information on the impact of gangsterism, the involvement of some SMMEs and challenges facing police.
Terblanche said people did not feel safe in the community, especially at schools, service providers, clinics, the court and the post office, which was closed as a result.
The stats also revealed that since September, 38 cases of murder and attempted murder had been opened, but only seven arrests had been made.
Macala attributed the delay in making arrests to a lack of community assistance.
“These shootings happen any time of the night but most of them happen in [broad] daylight. This makes kids who are playing and people moving around vulnerable, and gangsters don’t care,” Macala said.
“Our problem is, with the cases that are not successful, the members of the community who are witnesses do not want to come forward.”
He attributed this to a fear of being targeted by remaining gang members.
Macala said gangsters were taking advantage of the community’s silence.
He said he had been holding community meetings to urge people to assist with identifying criminals and locating illegal weapons.