GOOD Statement by Jonathan Cupido, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor:
The GOOD Party notes with deep concern the continual violent crime across Cape Town with at least six mass shootings that has taken place within the space of a single week, culminating in what many residents have described as a bloody week across the city.
Among the victims were women, while children and many other innocent people were also injured in these shooting incidents. These incidents are a painful reminder of the daily violence that many communities on the Cape Flats continue to endure.
For years communities have been subjected to the same predictable response from those in power: statements, condolences, promises of investigations and temporary deployments of police.
That pattern has now reached its expiry date.
The constant shifting of blame between national, provincial and local government has become nothing more than political gaslighting, while residents continue to live with daily gunfire, gang intimidation and extortion.
Condolences without reform are not leadership. Announcements without action are simply public relations exercises.
South Africa is currently in the budget cycle across all spheres of government. National and provincial budgets have already been tabled, while the City of Cape Town will soon table its own budget for public participation.
Budgets may be tabled, but they are not final until they are adopted. This means leaders across government still have the power to change priorities and confront the crisis facing our communities.
If government is serious about addressing the violence destroying the Cape Flats, the response cannot be symbolic measures such as walls or temporary deployments. These may create the appearance of action, but they do not confront the structural conditions that allow violence to persist.
The reality is that policing alone cannot solve this crisis.
What is required is a coordinated response across policing, the justice system, correctional services, social development and economic development, supported by stronger national coordination against organised crime and real investment in communities shaped by decades of spatial injustice and economic exclusion.
Communities on the Cape Flats do not need more sympathy.
They need action they can see, action they can feel, and reforms that finally break the cycle of violence.
If the budgets now being considered across government fail to confront this crisis, then every future condolence will simply confirm what residents already fear and know that their safety was never treated as a real priority.
GOOD Manifesto on Youth Leadership: Promoting youth leadership within the party and communities.
Delirium
Afrikaans knock knock joke.
Klop klop.
Wie is daar?
Bon Joe.
Bon Joe Wie?
Girl Brownie
Fun South African Fact: South Africa is extremely rich in mining and minerals and considered the world’s leader with nearly 90% of all the platinum metals on earth and around 41% of all the world’s Gold!