WATCH: Gayton McKenzie meets with ‘gangsters to make peace’

With crime among the big issues on voters’ minds in next month’s elections, Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie has met with Western Cape gang members.

Western Cape MEC for community safety Reagen Allen recently revealed in a GroundUp opinion piece, that two people are killed in the province every day due to gang violence.

McKenzie, himself a former gangster, said he recently held a meeting with gang members north of Cape Town. He said this was necessary because people often felt unsafe.

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“We had meetings with different gangsters in Malmesbury with the sole aim of making peace. The children are traumatised and I promised to bring [music group] the Temple Boys.

“I kept my promise and the peace is steadily increasing,” he claimed.

Watch scenes from Gayton’s visit and the musical performance:

McKenzie: ‘I understand how to fight gangsterism’

McKenzie previously told The Cape Times his party was on a mission to “eradicate gangsterism”.

“I was a gangster, grew up as a gangster, and I understand how to fight gangsterism”.

He added that gangsterism is not just a policing issue, but a social one.

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“If you don’t give people jobs or you don’t give people opportunities. Gangsters take them. We will bring back law and order by fighting gangsterism.”

Police stations being built to combat gangsterism

Police Minister Bheki Cele in February visited the sites of Makhaza and Tafelsig police stations in Cape Town being built to combat the high crime rate and gangsterism in the Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha areas.

Makhaza station is set to open this week.

Speaking at the recent opening of new stations in KwaZulu-Natal, Cele said station commanders should partner with community members to fight crime.

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“We had a serious lack of resources. There would be two police officers in one shift. If they went out patrolling, there would be no one at the police station, so you can’t leave it open. The numbers are up now and I’m sure the police station will be open 24/7.

“We urge the station commander to improve the working relationship between police and community members so that the crime can be zeroed.”