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Hijack victim drives hit man
06/04/2006 22:57 - (SA)
Chantelle Nicholas, Die Burger
Cape Town - Police reinforcements from all over the Peninsula have been called in to help stem a wave of gang violence in Hanover Park after yet another man had been shot dead.
Jason Bester, 27, the father of a toddler, was the sixth man in two weeks to be shot dead, allegedly by a gang member.
Many others have been wounded. Bester's death followed shortly after the murder of Gavin Atkins, a member of the Americans gang.
A senior police officer and officials of the provincial department for community safety, met Premier Ebrahim Rasool on Thursday in an effort to try and find solutions to the violence.
Several proposals would be tabled in the cabinet next week, said Makhaya Mani, a spokesperson.
According to a joint statement by the premier's office and these two departments, the government felt that significant progress had been made to stop incidents of renewed taxi and gang violence.
10 people arrested so far
Police spokesperson captain Randall Stoffels said members of several units had been deployed in the area.
Police had stepped up their operations since last week and were patrolling the area around the clock.
At least 10 people already had been arrested in connection with the violence, said Stoffels.
Members of the community were adamant that the defence force should be called in after the death of yet another "innocent man".
Moereeda Blankenberg, a member of Concerned Mothers of Hanover Park, said residents feared for the safety of their husbands and sons, as it seemed residents were being killed at random.
Bester was on his way to work about 08:30 on Thursday when he was shot dead near his parents' home in Surwood Walk.
Stoffels said a 23-year-old man from Delft had been arrested shortly afterwards.
Police found two illegal weapons and 15 rounds of ammunition in his possession.
Stoffels said the suspect allegedly had hijacked the driver of a brown BMW in Lansur Road and forced the man to drive to the next street, where he shot Bester in the chest at point-blank range.
Jason Bester's older brother, Eddie, said: "Innocent people are being killed.
"Jason was not involved in any gang."
The area was quiet
The two brothers had played cricket in the street on Wednesday afternoon.
"That was the last time I saw him alive," said Eddie.
Eddie said he usually picked up two employees in the area.
"The street was quiet when we drove through here. We had just reached the bridge at Kenilworth when I received a call saying Jason had been shot," he said.
- Die Burger
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