Residents of Khayelitsha in Cape Town will on Thursday have the ear of police minister Bheki Cele and top cops in the province during a community imbizo aimed at tackling crime in the area.

The police ministry said the imbizo seeks to strengthen working relations between law enforcement and community members to ensure both are equipped to fight criminality.

“The street izimbizo will provide the SA Police Service (SAPS) with an opportunity to update the community on operational measures the SAPS has put in place to ensure that the area is stabilised and there’s an increased police presence to maintain law and order,” said spokesperson Lirandzu Themba. 

On Monday, police launched a manhunt for gunmen who shot dead five people at the Monwabisi Park informal settlement in Endlovini, Khayelitsha.

Police spokesperson Capt Piet Smith said police would initiate a 72-hour activation plan to search for the perpetrators.

A woman and four men were killed. The victims were estimated to be between the ages of 25 and 35. 

On the same day, police hosted an imbizo in Manenberg where community members and community-based policing forums shared concerns about crime in the area. 

A community member lamented police inaction, saying they were quick to ask for tip-offs after incidents of crime but never followed up. 

“So many people are dying. I don't know how many people died in Manenberg this weekend only. We have been marching, but instead of [seeing improvement] it's been getting worse. SAPS is not coming to the party, you always expect the community to give you information but what are you doing?”

She said the rise of gangsterism in the province could have been significantly reduced had police acted decisively.

“The children born in 1998 were not in gangs, but today they are leaders of gangs. We have a problem with unemployment and dropouts. The children go to school and by Grade 8 they get recruited into gangs. These are young children.”