Residents of Grassy Park in Cape Town have demanded action be taken after the body of a woman was discovered in a canal at Fisherman’s Walk, near the Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve, on Monday, 8 April.
As reported by News24, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, Western Cape police spokesperson, has confirmed the discovery of the woman’s body, but said there were ‘no clues immediately apparent’ regarding the cause of death.
A post-mortem examination had been scheduled to determine the cause of death.
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Residents have complained about the ‘prevailing sense of lawlessness’ in their community.
‘We fear walking freely in the streets, but criminals have all the confidence in the world to go anywhere they like,’ said Theresa Hendricks from Pelican Park.
Other residents of Grassy Park have recounted how they grew up amid the violence in the community.
‘I can remember seeing gun violence, gang violence and dead bodies daily in this community since I was 10. [Sixteen] years later, and the situation hasn’t got any better,’ said Sylvester Jeneker, Grassy Park resident.
Both residents have also criticised the government’s response to gender-based violence (GBV), claiming that the relevant officials who are ‘supposed to utilise the funds and resources available’ to help tackle this problem aren’t doing so, according to Jeneker.
Nicole Jacobus, chairperson of the Grassy Park community policing forum (CPF), has maintained that they are ‘working tirelessly to combat crime’, but expressed that it sometimes feels as if they’re going ‘two steps backwards’ even when they give it their all.
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