Education officials in a province in South Africa closed 16 schools, affecting 12,000 students, Thursday in an impoverished area near Cape Town because of a spike in gang violence that has left teachers too afraid to go to work, AP reported. Underscoring the level of violence, one man was shot dead Thursday in an area in Manenberg where many children play. The young man's mother, Aysha Ismail, was distraught as she spoke to The Associated Press by phone soon after seeing her son's body. "My heart is broken because this gang violence must stop," Ismail said through tears. "There are nearly a hundred small children playing around in the streets." Western Cape Premier Helen Zille on Wednesday called for the army to be deployed to the area, an idea that a police spokesman opposed. South Africa's police services have increased their presence in the area recently, said spokeswoman for the Western Cape Education Ministry, Bronagh Casey. However the violence is still affecting schools in the area. A caretaker at one of the schools died after being shot weeks ago, and a stray bullet from gang violence hit a primary school around that time as well, Casey said. "We are closing the schools because our educators say they are unsafe going to the area to report for duty," Casey said, adding that students cannot be left unsupervised. "We rely on law enforcement in the area. Our education relies on a stable community in which to operate." The decision to close the schools came after meetings with the teachers. Police spokesman Col. Tembinkosi Kinana said the situation in Manenberg is "undoubtedly bad" as long as people are being killed. He said police personnel have been deployed and there is a strategy in place to combat gang violence.
