Cape Town - Following three recent shooting incidents in Bishop Lavis, local community leaders and activists say they have been driven to take an active stance against the ongoing violence that could see them revisiting 2017 when 17 people were killed in the space of two weeks.
The different groups and organisations will this coming Friday host an interactive prayer walk in the area.
They will walk to the sites of three recent shooting incidents, including the scene where a 2-year-old was shot and seriously wounded, and the scene of the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old woman.
The lead facilitator of the prayer session, the Bishop Lavis Action Community (Blac), said they had arranged for various faith organisations to host and participate in the demonstrative walk to show a united front against the ongoing killings of vulnerable residents.
Blac spokesperson Amanda Davids said: “We cannot have another massacre like the one we had in 2017, we can’t go back to that time.”
Bishop Lavis Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Graham Lindhorst said the recent shooting incidents have left the community tense and on edge.
Lindhorst said the forum accompanied by various faith leaders and community safety organisations, visited the families of the recent shootings in support.
“These families are completely devastated this is not easy to come to terms with. Trying to make sense of how someone can live peacefully after shooting an innocent child or after killing a young woman can drive you mad.
“That’s why we will be participating in the prayer walk. It’s time to stand up for our residents and unite everyone. We need to send a strong message to the people responsible for these shootings that we will not tolerate this violence. We also want to lift the morale of our residents and show our united front,” Lindhorst said.
Meanwhile, police are still investigating the fatal shooting of the young woman in Olyfberg Road, Bishop Lavis.
Police spokesperson Andre Traut said: “It is alleged that the woman was standing in front of said address when two unknown suspects started shooting in the road. It is unknown what the motive of the shooting was. Our investigation continues, and arrests are yet to be made.”