Note to editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Nicholas Gotsell MP
The DA welcomes the order by the Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, to support SAPS by bringing the LEAP Reaction Unit to the Atlantis area amid the Mamre massacre where five people were shot dead and another five seriously wounded.
The DA also requested the allocation of a watching brief to ensure that when arrests are made, there is proper oversight over the criminal justice system in this matter from start to finish. The people of Atlantis deserve to live in a safe community and can only feel safe if they know that the criminal justice system is fully functional.
While we await the investigation by the South African Police Services, we condemn in the strongest terms such a senseless, heinous act of violence by what is labelled a gang-related mass shooting. The DA will not tolerate idle, re-active measures in a situation which demands strong, decisive action.
We call on the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Gen Thembisile Patekile, to explain why gang-related crimes are escalating in Atlantis and what proactive steps the SAPS have taken to curb gang activities.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of the deceased.