Following weeks of bloodshed there and in Manenberg, police have called in various units including the National Intelligence Unit, SAPS Task Force, the Stabilisation Unit and several others to quell the violence among rival gangs.
Daily Voice joined the teams as they did searches at well-known gang and drug houses in Hanover Park on Wednesday night.
On arrival at the house of a 64-year-old oupa in Hanlyn Crescent, officers found the elderly man smoking a zol.
The man immediately claimed officers had entered the wrong house, saying the drug den was situated in nearby Hanlyn Road.
But adamant officers insisted the search warrant was for his property. As heavily armed officers searched a backyard dwelling on the property, the occupants started protesting.
CRACKDOWN: Various units were brought into Hanover Park
“Elke keer kom hulle hier. Is die verkeerde huis, meneer,” said a woman.
Within 10 minutes, officers found 12 bankies of A-grade dagga hidden in the oupa’s kitchen and he was arrested and taken to Philippi SAPS.
“Nee meneer, ek is mos nie ’n bandiet of ‘n skollie nie. Ek rook hier in my huis,” he protested as officers placed him in the van.
Next, cops headed to the home of the alleged leader of the Americans gang known as “Appels” also in Hanlyn Road.
Here they found the 45-year-old man in possession of 34 packets of heroin and two packets of tik, and arrested him on a charge of drug possession.
BUST: A 64-year-old oupa was arrested for A-grade dagga
“He is the leader of the Americans in Hanover Park. He has been arrested for firearms, drugs, murders and spent a couple of years inside. A couple of years ago he moved to Athlone but they shot him there and he came back to Hanover Park,” an officer told Daily Voice.
Deputy provincial police commissioner, Major-General Mpumelelo Manci, says additional forces have been brought in to Hanover Park and Manenberg to “beef up” policing following weeks of violence.
He says: “Operations like this and the deployment of these units is to beef up policing but what we need now is information from the community on who is behind the shootings. We need to get to those people and arrest them with the firearms so they can be linked to the cases. We also need the witnesses to give evidence so that justice can be done.”
Officers also searched the main house occupied by members of the Mongrels and Ghetto Kidz gangs but no arrests were made.