“You can’t reason with gang violence, you can’t talk to it, sit it at the table and negotiate with it.”
These words by Greg Boyle reflect the feeling of many residents. According to a group of Cloetesville residents the area lacks many elements pertaining to growth as a community. There are few recreational facilities, so the chances of youth participating in deviant behaviour from a young age are great.
“The lost life of Harlene Meyer is a wake-up call to all communities and also the government, which has failed in securing the lives of innocent people who then fall victim to gang violence,” Wynanda Brinkhuis explained.
“We, as the community of Cloetesville, and all 13 surrounding hamlets will commence a march on Women’s Day (9 August). We call out all women and men from different political parties under the umbrella of unity, security, justice and equality in memory of Harlene Meyer and others who have died at the hands of gang violence, losing their lives innocently. The purpose of the march is to put all differences aside for one day and stand in unity against gang-related violence and the killing of innocent lives.
“We aim to promote safety and security to reduce crime, gang violence, drug trafficking and public violence so Cloetesville and the greater Stellenbosch will become safer communities.”
- Anyone looking to participate or find out more can contact Brinkhuis by calling 073 266 1767 or sending an email to Wynanda.jacobs@gmail.com
