Gangsters are fighting back, but they will not win, vows Fritz as army keeps watch

Western Cape Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz says there is an attempted "fightback" by gangs in the province but has vowed that "they will not win".

This comes hot on the heels of the death of ANC activist Cynthia Stulo, who was shot and killed while walking her 7-year-old child to school on Thursday.

It also comes as reported murders for the past weekend remain high – 25 people were murdered – with the deployment of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) in hotspots around the province. 

Fritz condemned the persistent gang-related violence on the Cape Flats.

"We are witnessing a fightback from gangs on the Cape Flats," Fritz remarked.

"I want gangsters to know that they will not win. The time for terrorising communities has come to an end," he said.

Fritz further called on intelligence services to ensure convictions of "gang bosses, not just hitmen". 

The SANDF has been deployed to support the police in 10 precincts identified by Police Minister Bheki Cele as crime and gang hotspots. They are Bishop Lavis, Mitchells Plain, Delft, Elsies River, Nyanga, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Philippi, Kraaifontein and Manenberg.

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The 1 320-deployee programme will cost around R23m.

"Thanks to the deployment of the SANDF and the increase in law enforcement, we are already beginning to see a change in murder statistics and consequently, gang-related violence. Statistics reveal that in the past weekend, there were 25 alleged murder admissions," he added.

Fritz said the Department of Community Safety would continue to use every tool at its disposal to safeguard the citizens of the Western Cape.