Eldorado Park is fast following in the footsteps of the notorious Cape Flats, according to local leader and anti-drug activist Dereleen James.
James was commenting after two young men were shot at while they were relaxing inside their car on Sunday. One victim, a 23-year old, succumbed to gunshot wounds while his friend managed to flee from the unknown assailants.
“I am speechless and numb. I am disappointed and deeply pained at the state of Eldorado Park. It pains me to say that my community has taken the identity of the Cape Flats,” said James.
Cape Flats, a poverty-stricken vast, low-lying flat area to the southeast of Cape Town, is known as one of the most violent places in South Africa. It is infamous for non-ending turf and drug wars and extortion.
Kester Fisher, Gangs to Grace leader in Eldorado Park, also condemned the shooting.
“I am personally saddened by the continuous and senseless loss of life in the community. I am unfortunately not surprised because there are still many flaws in the policing system in the area,” Fisher said.
The residents in the area also shared how dangerous and hopeless the situation has deteriorated, highlighting the police’s inability to combat the ongoing gun violence.
“As a youth living in Eldorado Park, I am afraid to walk around. I constantly live in fear, not only for my life but for my family and friends as well. You just don’t know who will be next in line to be killed,” shared Andrea Buhr, a youth in the area.
“Gun violence in our community has become a norm. Someone gets shot and killed, we send condolences and then move on with our lives, until the next shooting happens. Our safety is compromised.”
The people who witnessed Sunday’s shooting said the gunmen fled in a silver-grey microbus. The police are still searching for them.
In a separate incident on Saturday, the police found a lifeless body of a 24-year-old woman with gunshot wounds. Three spent cartridges and one live round of ammunition were discovered not far from the deceased.
The woman was killed in a crossfire, according to police spokesperson Sergeant Roxanne Gibbs, who said the trigger man has been positively identified.
“It is alleged that the known suspect came across a male whom he had an altercation with at the corner of Silwer and Cumming roads in Eldorado Park. The suspect allegedly intended to shoot at the male, however, he shot at the 24-year-old female victim who was a bystander,” said Gibbs.
The suspect is said to have fled upon realising that he had shot the wrong person, said Gibbs, adding that a case of murder has been opened.
Devenay Rayners, deputy secretary-general of Patriotic Youth Alliance in the area, has declared war on drug lords.
“We are devastated and traumatised, it is hitting home. People [who are] very close to us are being killed and we know very well that this is drug-related. Elderly men are involved [in this war] and we are aware of that,” said Rayners.
“The youth has had enough and we want to break free from this system, we will not be controlled by the police or drug lords in our community. War has begun and we will not die by the hands of gun-totting gang members, instead we will die noble deaths.”
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