The Chinese traditional dragon dance added much fanfare to an anti-crime event taking place on Saturday in Atlantis, a crime-stricken community outside Cape Town.

 

 Folk artists perform Chinese traditional dragon dance during an anti-crime event

 

The event, codenamed "Youth Making Noise Against Crime", was held to mark the "Youth Month" in the country.

This was an initiative aimed at highlighting the seriousness of violent criminal activities that are currently affecting South Africa's youth.

Since the beginning of 2017, there have already been 24 reported cases of youth deaths as a result of violent crimes such as robbery, rape, human trafficking and drug abuse.

The event was organized by the Milnerton Community Police Forum (CPF) Cluster Board in conjunction with the nine police stations within the cluster congregated in Atlantis to demonstrate their stand against crime and gang violence.

Commander of the Milnerton police cluster Major General Aneeqah Jordan urged the youngsters present at the event to follow the right path and make something of themselves.

With proper conduct, the children can achieve their goals and become respected members of society, Jordan said.

As an offering of friendship and support, representatives from the Cape Town Chinese community, led by Chinese Consul General Kang Yong attended the event. They brought with them the traditional Chinese dragon dance, a symbol of power, prosperity and peace.

Kang expressed his love for South Africa and its people, saying: "The children are the future of this nation. It is vital that they stay away from gang activity and learn to respect their teachers and family."

The dragon dance, performed by members of the Chinese Huaxing Artistic Troop in Cape Town, cheered up the youths who burst into applause.

Alice Matisha, 13, told Xinhua that she never saw dragon dance before.

"It is amazing and I love it," she said.

Dong Gang, head of the Chinese Huaxing Artistic Troop, said the Chinese community cannot turn a blind eye to rampant crime and must do something to help curb the scourge.

"We bring the dragon dance to show our support for the community," Dong said.

Moreover, the dragon dance can serve as a bridge between the local and Chinese communities, he said.

"We want to interact with the local communities on the one hand. On the other hand, we also want the local communities to understand the Chinese community and know more about the Chinese culture," Dong said. 

(From Xinhua News)