Cachalia urges police to confront gang leaders who ‘steal young people’ from communities

Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia. Picture: X / @Prof_Cachalia Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia has asked police management to use all tactics within the law to dismantle violent gangs. Cachalia was in Reiger Park on Sunday to address an angry community still reeling from the murder of four people, including two police officers tied to the anti-gang unit, in a mass shooting incident.

Constable Sphiwe Sibeko, Constable Thapelo Tlomatsane and two female civilians were killed on Friday evening in what police have described as an ambush. The acting minister asked religious groups, sports organisations and civil society groups to band together to help create pathways away from gangsterism. “We must take hands.

The community has to stand up. The leaders of the community have to stand up. “We need to reclaim our streets, reclaim our communities.

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Work with the police to end the scourge of gang violence, drug trafficking and drug addiction in our communities,” said Cachalia. He had a specific warning for gang leaders, and reiterated the message coming from the South African Police Service (Saps) that resources would be focused on catching the perpetrators of Friday’s incident. “I want to say to those gang leaders, don’t think that that the people of this country are not watching you.

“Don’t think that you can continue to steal young people from their parents, and don’t think you can kill police officers with impunity. “I have said to the police leadership today that I want them to confront the gangs, and I want our people in Reiger Park to see the police acting under the law to confront the gangs,” Cachalia told the community. The acting minister was part of a delegation that visited the families of Sibeko and Tlomatsane on Sunday.

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