John Burnell
2.4K posts


@Abramjee @IanCameron23 @geordinhl @alanwinde @SAPoliceService @SANDF_ZA @WesternCapeGov @CityofCT Tell squirrel that....
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Soldiers on the Cape Flats:
[COMMENT]
The continued shootings on the Cape Flats despite deployments point to a deeper problem than just visible policing. It suggests that while boots on the ground may disrupt crime temporarily, they are not dismantling the underlying gang structures driving the violence.
These groups are organised, entrenched, and often have access to illegal firearms, intelligence, and community-level influence that allows them to adapt quickly to the presence of security forces.
What’s happening is that criminals adjust their operations, they change times, locations, and tactics while continuing their activities.
In some cases, violence even escalates in response to pressure, especially where gang rivalries and territorial control are involved.
This means deployments alone, without sustained intelligence-led operations and successful prosecutions, are not enough to stabilise the situation.
It also raises uncomfortable questions about coordination, effectiveness, and whether enough is being done to target the leadership and financial networks behind these gangs. Without that, you’re treating symptoms, not the cause.
Bottom line: if shootings continue despite deployment, it signals that the strategy is not yet effective, and a more focused, intelligence-driven and corruption-free approach is urgently needed.
Over recent days, scores of shootings have been reported on the Cape Flats.
Hundreds of lives have been lost over recent months.


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@BarneySimon He's staying put mate. He's ours and will stay our gem.
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Today at White River Magistrate’s Court, I was physically assaulted in a place that is supposed to deliver justice.
I emailed at 09:13 to request documents I am constitutionally entitled to. I drove there to collect copies. Upon arrival, I was forced through unnecessary obstacles: print out the email and return, sit and wait endlessly. I complied. After repeatedly asking court staff for help, the copies were finally made and handed to the clerk responsible for taking payment and issuing the documents with a receipt.
At 10:55, she boldly announced she was going on a tea break. I explained that I had already waited a long time and politely asked if she could please process my payment first and hand over the documents. She refused, and then lunged at me with a kettle in hand, pouring its entire contents over my shirt and skirt. (Thank God the water was not boiling.)
At the same moment, a court security guard and SAPS officer grabbed me, dragged me out, and manhandled me aggressively. I am a short woman, they threw me around like a ragdoll. At no point did I give anyone permission to lay hands on me. This was clear assault.
I yelled out: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" In that instant, it took me straight back to the day in 2021 at White River SAPS, when I screamed the exact same words while connected comrades viciously assaulted my husband inside the police station. This time, it was me on the floor. This time, it was me being assaulted. This is NOT okay.
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