Africa-Press – South-Africa. Mitchells Plain residents are on edge after former Americans gang leader Kaldimola “Dimes” Madatt was gunned down in broad daylight in Rocklands on Sunday.
According to ward councillor Ashley Potts, there is merit in the residents’ fears that there will be retaliation attacks.
“When we have a notorious leader such as Dimes who was gunned down, there is always the expectation that there will be revenge attacks. Residents will be fearful because the area is very tense. We are advising residents for their own safety to refrain from walking on the sidewalks,” Potts said.
He added that one of the main concerns was that a new Americans leader would emerge, sparking attacks from within the gang.
“Police visibility has increased and will continue to do so but we need residents to speak up if they know or have seen anything regarding the murder,” Potts added.
Jantjies added:
According to the CPF, more than 60 surveillance cameras have been installed in Mitchells Plain Town Centre but the forum has called on the City to fast-track the installation of additional cameras and number plate recognition equipment in hotspots and gang-ridden parts of the suburb.
“The establishment of a local operations centre must also be prioritised. As citizens and ratepayers, we have the right to live, work, worship, and play in a safe environment. We call upon all levels of government to give us back our dignity and prioritise our safety. We need to have a state of emergency to get government and civil society to work on a Mitchells Plain gang intervention plan,” Jantjies added.
The CPF called on Western Cape Premier Allan Winde and the Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to discuss the gang problem and chart a way forward.
“The CPF has identified the need to embark on a gang-mapping initiative to host a gang intervention summit and we hope that the premier and the mayor can assist in this regard,” he said.
Madatt was buried following Muslim rites in Mowbray on Tuesday.
Western Cape police spokesperson, Captain Frederick van Wyk, said police went to the scene of Sunday’s shooting in Monsoon Road where they found the body of a 56-year-old man riddled with gunshot wounds.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. A second person, a 40-year-old [man] sustained a gunshot wound to his left hip during the incident. He was taken to the hospital for medical treatment. The motive for the attack is gang-related,” Van Wyk said.
He added that a 32-year-old man was arrested and he appeared in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder and attempted murder.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
