Child gangs in Manenberg are known for stoning attacks. An eight-year-old was among 17 people arrested in Manenberg last week as police cracked down on daily stone-throwing incidents that have become so frequent they now start as early as 6am, police have said. Manenberg police spokesperson Captain Ian Bennett said the suspects were charged and sent to court, but the case was withdrawn as the court required detailed information on each person’s actions and descriptions during the incidents.
Videos online show that the presence of law enforcement officers does not stop the attacks. A police vehicle was nearly damaged, and officers narrowly avoided a violent clash as a group of children advanced on the van, said Manenberg police spokesperson Captain Ian Bennett. Captain Bennett said the suspects were charged and sent to court, but the case was withdrawn as the court required detailed information on each person’s actions and descriptions during the incidents.
He said: “Stone throwing is seen as a social ill that parents must address. Adults have reportedly incited this violence, which pits children from different streets against each other. “In separate incidents, a woman was injured by shrapnel from a rubber bullet during crowd dispersal, and another was caught in gang crossfire. Several youths have also been seriously injured, though many cases go unreported.”
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