A boy runs along a road littered with rocks while crowds look on during the public violence in the Lavender Hill and Steenberg area on Thursday.
Three men have been arrested and seven minors are being called in by police after stone-throwing and burning rubble disrupted parts of Steenberg and Lavender Hill on Thursday morning.
The men, aged between 19 and 21, were arrested on charges of public violence and are expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court.
Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel F.C. Van Wyk said Steenberg police received complaints of public violence early on Thursday. The station commander and officers rushed to the corner of St Christopher and Military roads.
“Upon their arrival they [police] found young boys who were throwing stones at each other affecting road users and damages to property,” Van Wyk said.
Police found seven boys, aged between 13 and 17, at the scene. They were allegedly inciting and participating in the public violence but have not been arrested.
Van Wyk said the Steenberg station commander was waiting for the minors to come forward and account for their actions.
Police deploy Anti-Gang Unit and public order officers
Police increased their presence in the area, deploying members of the Anti-Gang Unit, Public Order Policing (POPS), Metro Police and law enforcement.
Van Wyk said the motive for the stone-throwing was still under investigation.
“Police will not tolerate any acts of criminality and in the event of crime taking place, our members will not hesitate to take decisive action,” he said.
He said the deployment would remain in place until any threat to public safety had been dealt with.
CPF warns Lavender Hill residents as violence intensifies
Steenberg Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson Nicola Small identified St Montague Village, Cuban Heights and Lavender Hill as hotspots.
“The area is volatile at the moment. Residents are urged to be vigilant in the general Lavender Hill area,” she said.
Small said police had been on the ground since early morning, with additional support deployed.
“SAPS and other agencies are taking the lead,” she said.
She added that the area had experienced similar incidents in previous years, but believed the situation was intensifying.
“Previous years has been much of the same but it seems to be intensifying,” she said.
Small raised concerns about the involvement of children in the violence, saying some were unsupervised and taking to the streets to participate in or incite unrest.
“There’s absolute lawlessness with young children who are unsupervised and taking to the streets to join or incite the violence,” she said.
She urged parents and caregivers to take responsibility for children in their care.
“Residents are urged to please take responsibility for the children in their care,” she said.
Van Wyk reiterated that police would not tolerate lawlessness and warned that offenders could face action.
“Western Cape SAPS will not be turning a blind eye to lawlessness, and offenders can expect an unpleasant encounter with the law,” he said.