Admin
13 Sep, 2025
Violence against law enforcement in Valhalla Park a symptom of broken trust in policing
Statement by Bongani Maqungwana, UDM Councillor in the City of Cape Town The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the City of Cape Town condemns in the strongest terms the recent attack on City of Cape Town Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers in Valhalla Park, Cape Town. This happened after officers deployed to Valhalla Park as part of an ongoing operation responded to the sound of gunshots at approximately 3:26pm on Friday, 12 September 2025. While approaching the scene, they apparently encountered a suspect running with a firearm who allegedly pointed it at their vehicle. We understand that the driver lost control, colliding with a wall and injuring three people in the process. However, no amount of community anger or frustration can justify violence, the stoning of officers, or the destruction of public property. Such acts place lives at risk, undermine the rule of law, and rob residents of much-needed safety resources. At the same time, the UDM in the City of Cape Town recognises that these violent incidents do not happen in a vacuum. Communities like Valhalla Park are trapped in the grip of crime, gangsterism, and drug abuse, while the South African Police Service (SAPS) continues to fail in its constitutional duty to provide safety and security. Years of under resourcing, corruption, slow response times, and neglect have left residents vulnerable and frustrated, eroding trust between citizens and law enforcement. When communities feel abandoned to crime, they sometimes turn their anger against the very officers who should protect them. This is a dangerous cycle that must urgently be broken. The UDM in the City of Cape Town therefore calls for: • A strengthened and better resourced SAPS that can effectively combat crime and gangs in vulnerable communities like Valhalla Park. • A genuine rebuilding of trust between communities and law enforcement through visible policing, accountability, and properly functioning community policing forums. • An urgent national review of policing capacity in high crime areas, including Cape Town, to ensure that communities are not left to fend for themselves. The UDM in the City of Cape Town further urges communities to channel their anger through peaceful and organised engagement rather than violence. Law enforcement officers are also mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters who deserve to return safely to their families after serving the public. South Africans want safety, justice, and dignity. For this to happen, policing must be transformed into a service that people trust and respect, and communities must play their part in building safer neighbourhoods without resorting to violence.
