GOOD Statement by Jeremy Papier
GOOD Swartland Municipality PR Councillor
9 October 2023
The GOOD Party calls for calm and order in the community of Malmesbury where senseless violence over the weekend claimed the lives of at least three people.
The unrest erupted yesterday after the fatal stabbing of a teenager which then saw the torching of several homes in Llingelethu. It’s understood two more victims lost their lives in the retaliatory violence.
Not only have three families lost loved ones, but several more have now been left homeless and scarred by some local residents taking the law into their own hands.
GOOD strongly condemns these murders as well as any vigilante actions motivated by prejudice and anger.
Community members have to stand together to ensure that law and order is maintained, while the police need to act fast to ensure justice is served and that this does not spiral further out of control.
These devastating outcomes prove that much more needs to be done by our law enforcement officers, as well as the local government, when it comes to taking proactive steps to prevent situations from getting out of hand when a community is angry, hurt, and desperate.
Community members and police should be able to work together to address the challenges through effective cooperation, instead of people feeling that they have no choice but to act on their own.
The community further urgently needs effective safety and security plans, as well as social upliftment programmes that will both address the socio-economic challenges faced by the struggling residents as well as criminal activities and the causes behind them.
As GOOD, we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones.
Media Enquiries:
Jeremy Papier, GOOD Swartland PR Councillor
Cell: 083 292 0435
Email: jeremypapier62@gmail.com
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za