2004 Volume 4
Gangsterism In The Western Cape
By Edwin Herrendorfer
Gangsterism in South Africa is extremely rife and problematic, particularly in the Western Cape. It is an age-old problem that has affected families as well as whole communities. Entire towns and cities have, at one stage or another, had to deal with the scourge that is gangsterism. Innocent men, women and children have – knowingly and unknowingly – become entangled with gangsters. Most have suffered dearly as a result. Many still bear the scars of their involvement; both physical and emotional scars. Countless others have lost their lives, usually in a savage manner and sometimes for something of little or no significance. Those that have tried to get out, have either been hunted and killed, or are now fugitives, living in fear of being found by their fellow gang members. South African prisons are full of men, women and youths who were arrested and incarcerated because of the crimes they committed while belonging to a gang.
But what exactly is gangsterism?
The common perception is that gangsterism is a so-called Coloured phenomenon. Yet, it is Blacks – as far back as the 19th century – who started the numbers gangs. It is not surprising, then, that most gangster “taal” (street slang) is made up of Black terminology. This “taal” has even made its way into the lives of common people, who use it without knowing the meaning behind each term or word. This has led to many being mistaken for members of a gang. Nellie Cupido, a mother from Delft (Cape Town), watched in horror as her son was being butchered to death while on his way from school. “He didn’t belong to a gang,” she says. “But he had picked up this language on the streets.” According to witnesses, the gang insisted that he belonged to a rival gang which operated in the same area. They killed him, in broad daylight.
Over the years, gangsterism evolved, changing with the times, with new gangs springing up, changing or disintegrating. Their modus operandi also evolved with time. Most of the old terminology retained its nineteenth century significance, although much of it became distorted or started to mean something different altogether. Gangs also became more dangerous and violent. Whole communities or sections of towns or cities lived in fear of gangsters. Disruptions and intimidation became more prevalent. Gangs gained more and more power in communities, and they began spreading. The forced removals of Coloureds from District Six in 1966, helped disperse gangsterism throughout the Cape Flats.
In essence, there are two types of gangs – street gangs and organised gangs. Street gangs are usually smaller, of lesser significance and less problematic. These are usually youngsters, who congregate on street corners, smoke dagga, drink and intimidate passers-by. They resort to robbing and stealing to support their drug and alcohol habits. Larger gangs normally keep these youngsters in check, offering them “jobs” – like selling drugs in their neighbourhoods. It is these larger gangs, on the other hand, that are more problematic. This group includes the infamous numbers gangs: the 26’s, 27’s and 28’s. Gangsters usually fall into one of these categories.
The numbers gangs operate like well-organised institutions. They consist of lower and upper structures governed by strict codes of conduct and gang rules. Breaking any of the rules, or the code of conduct, could mean death. Many who have tried have paid with their lives.
According to studies by the SAPS’s Operation Slasher, which was launched in 2001, there are about 150 gangs in the Western Cape. The total number of gang members at that time stood at about 120,000. It could be much higher today.
What do gangsters do?
Gangs control large areas, usually communities or parts of cities and towns. These areas are known as “turfs.” Each gang normally has their own turf, which they guard with their lives from other gangs. Here they manipulate their illicit activities, which include prostitution, drug dealing and shebeens.
Many young girls are coerced or forced into prostitution by gangs, who sometimes drag them from their homes in full view of their helpless families. The girls end up being raped by many gang members, and then forced to sell their bodies on the streets. Whatever money they receive goes to the gang. They either get a pittance for their efforts, or are fed drugs to blur their tragic reality. Getting out is then almost impossible, as they fear the gang may kill them or members of their families.
Shebeen owners and some store owners must pay protection fees to the local gang. If not, the gang would make it very difficult for them, using intimidation tactics and threats. Many of these have been carried out, resulting in either loss of property or death.
Despite this, many communities have become dependent on the illegal and sometimes dangerous activities of gangsters. Money-laundering is big business for any gang. That is why controlling and protecting large turfs are so important. People who may never obtain loans elsewhere, are afforded loans by large gangs. In return, the gangsters get paid “interest” on the loans they hand out. On the other hand, communities would not readily expose their saviours – either out of fear, or because they would have nowhere to go to obtain their monthly loans. They see the gang as providing a much-needed service. Most people in gang-ridden communities are either unemployed, or make so little money, they are forced to turn to the gangsters for help. On the other extreme, non-payment of an account held with gangsters could result in tragic consequences.
How do people become gangsters?
Most people are roped into gangsterism at an early age, from the ages of ten to sixteen years. Their leaders would be between thirty and fifty years of age. Because of the poverty-stricken environments they come from, many males are drawn into the gang arena by the attraction of money, power and glamour with which they associate gangsterism. They dream of the flashy cars, massive gold jewellery, immense amounts of money, and the power to control a whole town – as their ultimate goal. In reality, however, it is far from being what they thought it would be. Yet, as youngsters, they do not see further than their own ignorance. From the moment they join a gang, their lives become an orgy of murders, robberies, rapes and drunkenness that they would sometimes not understand or have wanted.
Sub-economic areas, where gangsterism is the most prevalent and problematic, are good training grounds for would-be gangsters. In most instances, both parents are either unemployed or both are working, leaving their children unattended or with strangers. Gangs quickly exploit such situations. In fact, they thrive on it, offering youngsters a “surrogate family” setup which gives the youngsters a sense of belonging. In most cases, youths are used to commit the crimes - such as murder, rape, etc – effectively obscuring the leadership from being identified. Often, the order to commit a crime is filtered thorugh the ranks of a gang. Thus, the person committing the crime never knows who gave the order. The police, therefore, are never able to get hold of the leadership.
Smaller gangs, usually made up of youngsters, are also normally swallowed up by larger, more prominent gangs who then use the youngsters to commit the crimes for them. This is evident in the number of youngsters being arrested for murder and possession of illegal firearms. It must also be noted that there are females in gangs as well. Girls on drugs, or those prostituting for gangs sometimes class themselves as gang members. They may form their own gang, which is regarded as an “affiliate” of the main, male-dominated gang. Females never attain any status of importance within any of the large gangs. They are usually used by gang leaders to do jobs men would otherwise find more difficult, like smuggling drugs or coercing prostitutes into the gang’s prostitution ring. It is rare for a female to get involved in a gang fight between male gangs.
The areas in Cape Town identified as gang hotspots include Mitchells Plain, Hanover Park/Philippi, Manenberg, Bishop Lavis and Elsies River. It is within these areas that gangs have the most influence. It is also here where youngsters are taught their first steps into the world of the gang. Because of the violence caused by fighting between gangs, many innocent people – including women and children - get caught in the crossfire. Many have been maimed for life. Countless others have lost their lives. Recent newspaper reports attest to that.
The SAPS’s Operation Slasher noted that it took about 20 years for communities to become fed-up with gangsters. They would then form community organisations to eradicate gangs from their areas. “In 1950 it was the Globe Gang, in 1970 the Peace Makers and in 1996 it was People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD). When threatened, gangs would form alliances among themselves to help fight against the community or police.
Conclusion
The extent of the problem in South Africa is so far-reaching that nobody – not the police or government – can say when gangsterism would be addressed in its finality. Many are still unconvinced that increasing police force members would stop or reduce gang activities, not only in Cape Town, but South Africa as a whole. It would seem that self-defence – of individuals and communities – is the only way to fight gangsterism. The police and government have thus far failed. Many innocent people are losing their lives while the police concentrate on disarming rather than arming the people. If people in gang-ridden areas were taught to arm themselves and take a stand against the thugs that traumatise them daily, the gangsters would have the tables turned on them. The truth is, gangsters prefer unarmed victims and like all criminals, gangsters fear armed citizens.