A former top cop and crime activists say the latest tender issued for a new armoured troop carrier is not the answer to gun violence.
Last month, the Western Cape saw two mass shootings in Atlantis and Bishop Lavis which left twelve people dead.
Tender submissions for the new Mobile Adjustable Rescue/ Assault System (MARS) vehicle which can carry 12 cops came to an end last month.
It is understood the vehicle will be used in danger zones where a driver and co-driver can both steer it, while it should be bulletproof against assault rifles and even hand grenades.
Kamogelo Mogotsi, spokesperson for Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, said they could not comment on the matter while national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, did not respond to queries.
Meanwhile former Major General Jeremy Vearey who is part of the steering committee for the Cape Crisis Coalition said a proper strategy, and not the MARS vehicle, is needed to combat gangsterism.
“Its use should be evaluated against the growing securocratic view that the Cape Flats need to be treated as a combat zone demanding militarised incursions against gangs with counter insurgency tactics.
“Next we'll be fortifying police stations as redoubts instead of service points for community policing.
“A similar thing happened in South Central Los Angeles with the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) and the rest is police failure history.
“This recourse is often the sign of a lack of operational and strategic thinking in dealing with the gang problem, hence every challenge is a nail that needs a hammer to deal with it.”
Activist group Fight Against Crime said the lack of resources at police stations should be addressed before such a vehicle should be considered.
genevieve.heunis@inl.co.za