Our minister of police is oppie job hier innie Kaap, ne?
Whenever you open the paper, there’s Bheki Cele and his famous fedora hat.
This week he was out in Philippi, where 13 people were shot dead in a weekend killing spree.
Six men and five men wiped out in two days - that’s insane.
Traumatised residents packed the Philippi Community Hall on Monday for the visit of Cele, who addressed the community’s concerns, which included an absent police station commander.
The minister declared: “We will need five days to look at your memorandum and address your grievances...
“I heard that you want a station commander since the current commander is away on sick leave.
“I hope that when we place a permanent station commander, things will become better.
“We will have a meeting for the security cluster, and I promise you that after the meeting, there will be a change that you will see in the community.
“I won’t tell you what the change is gonna be, but you as the people will see that there is a change and that is after 24 hours.”
SIGN: Crime memorandum
Philippi is out of control, but so are Bonteheuwel and Blikkiesdorp.
Meanwhile in Hanover Park, the community promised to shut down the area, and marched to the police station in protest at the relentless gang violence in the area last week.
Residents say the launch of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) in Hanover Park by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year was nothing but a political ploy to get votes ahead of the elections.
“Cele told us that they are going to choke the gangsters, but it only went quiet for about three weeks,” they say.
DIALOGUE: Minister Bheki Cele speaks to Cape Flats residents
On Tuesday, the minister popped up in Manenberg to meet members of Taking Back the Streets.
The community organisation has hosted nightly vigils where they camp out in public spaces between the turfs of local gangs to prevent shootings.
They handed Cele a memorandum calling for more trained police officers, who are bilingual, and can assist with their weekly marches.
He was impressed with the group, saying: “I am going to join the project of this community that is complaining less and talking more.
“You have said to me that you will be occupying for one night a park and I am making a commitment that I will join you, but not when it is too cold and secondly there will have to be food like breyani.”
Nice gesture, but this is no time for sweet-talking.
This is a matter of life and death - for our terrorised communities but also for the police.
Last month, five AGU officers were shot and wounded during a search operation in Philippi.
And Sergeant Donovan Prins was killed during gang shooting in Lavender Hill.
Now, sure the communities appreciate the minister’s visits.
But the mense need more than a bit of special attention and promises.
They want to see action, more police at the hotspots, and more arrests.
Words won’t silence the gunfire, or give people peace of mind.
Oh, what would also help is sending in the army.