Marianne Merten
Soldiers and police are patrolling Heideveld on the Cape Flats where schools closed on Monday because of gang violence.
Security guards were posted at the schools when teaching resumed on Tuesday, but attendance remained down.
Threats of revenge were made after three gangsters, including the leader of the local Americans gang, Mogamat “Gamie” Solo-mons, were shot and seriously injured after a gang funeral.
The American and Junky Funky Kids gangs have battled over turf for almost a year.
This is the second time in three weeks that Dagbreek Primary School has been forced to close. On March 15 Junky Funky Kids gangsters fired their guns outside the school and threatened to kidnap the children of Solomons and his relatives.
Meanwhile, detectives at the nearby Athlone and Lansdowne police stations started a work-to-rule protest over the loss of danger and standby allowances. More detectives are expected to join.
Even so, they are working eight-hour shifts over weekends, although they get paid for only four hours.
From April 1 detectives lost their R145,60 monthly allowance for being on standby between 4pm and 8am. Their uniformed counterparts receive a night shift allowance. Detectives also lost their danger allowance of R200.