South Africa's gang warfare: The victims caught in the crossfire in Cape Town
The distraught father lies on the narrow, single bed and points to two small bullet holes in the wall of his house.This is stark evidence of a moment that shattered his family's life forever.Devon Africa's four-year-old son Davin was shot dead in February, caught in the crossfire of a shoot-out between criminals. He was a victim of the gang warfare that has plagued the Cape Flats, the townships around Cape Town - a legacy of apartheid, when the non-white population was forcibly moved from the centre of the wealthy city to the under-resourced outskirts."This is the bullet hole here," he says. "This is where he slept."The family had already endured unspeakable horror.Davin's older sister, Kelly Amber, was killed two years earlier, also shot as rivals fired at each other. She was 12.Now Devon and his wife, Undean, have only their youngest daughter left."She asks me: 'Where's my brother?'" says Undean. "So I told her he's with Jesus in daddy's heart and in my heart."
These murders took place in an area known as Wesbank, but many other families across the wider Cape Flats area have had to endure similar nightmares, despite assurances by the police of increased patrols.The numbers tell a horrifying story. The Western Cape province - in which the Cape Flats sit - consistently sees the overwhelming majority of gang-related murders in South Africa, according to the police.Officially, this is a policing priority for the government. President Cyril Ramaphosa set up a special unit to combat gang violence in 2018, he also briefly deployed the army to the area the following year, but the problem has persisted, and the killings have continued."There's a whole history and generations of people who have been born into these gangs," says Gareth Newham, head of the Justice and Violence Prevention programme at the Institute for Security Studies in Johannesburg."[They] flourish in areas that have largely been neglected or underdeveloped by the state. The gangs provide a form of social structure that actually provides services to the communities that the state doesn't. They provide food for homes. Money for electricity. Money for transport or funerals. These gangs even pay school fees."They are embedded in the community and "that's why it's so difficult for the police to tackle them… it means that they can use non-gang members' houses to store drugs and store weapons".
But there are people trying to tackle the issue.Fifteen kilometres (nine miles) away from Wesbank is Hanover Park where Pastor Craven Engel is glued to his mobile phone almost all day, every day in his quest for peace.His mission is to mediate in gang conflicts to stop this violence and the killings, fuelled by the lucrative trade in drugs. He and his team try to follow a basic formula: detection, interruption and changing mindsets."Hanover Park doesn't really have an economy to speak of," says Pastor Engel. "The bulk of the economy comes out of the drug culture. That's the biggest economy."Pastor Engel says that apartheid's impact on the area can't be overlooked but neither can generational trauma - manifested as drug addiction and then family breakdown."The substance [drug] creates unemployment, the substance creates robbery, it creates gang fights because of turfs. So, the substance sits in the middle of so many of the atrocities within the community," says Pastor Engel, who estimates that around 70% of local children are living with some kind of addiction.This community of around 50,000 people has to endure shootings and stabbings almost daily. And it's often young people who are doing the killing and being killed.
"The policing approach alone is unlikely to solve the problem because you might arrest people for being gang members, for having guns and for shootings and murders. They will go to prison, but then they get replaced by younger members. And that creates a whole different set of problems. They're more likely to get into fights over territory and turf," says Mr Newham."How does a kid get shot seven times in his head or three times in his back? How does a stray bullet hit a kid?" asks Pastor Engel.Cape Town safety fears force parents to seek former white-only schoolsOn his phone, he calls up community leaders and gang kingpins, constantly cajoling to try and head off the violence. When BBC Africa Eye visits him he is trying to broker a ceasefire between two warring gangs - and manages to reach the jailed leader of one of them."If I want something to happen then it still happens. Do you understand pastor?" the gang boss shouts down the line. "But I can tell you one thing. I'm a guy that likes to counter if I come under fire."Threats. Even from behind bars.But Pastor Engel is relentless. He is highly visible in his community, whether in the home of a parishioner or before his large and loud congregation in the pulpit on a Sunday."I think that what makes it very, very terrible now is there are more children involved in the gangs, because gangs are recruiting between the ages of eight and 15 years old," he says.The programme he runs used to get government money, but that has dried up. To cut off the supply lines and protect the innocent, he will meet victims and perpetrators anywhere and at any time.He also sends rehabilitated gang members to negotiate directly with warring factions. Those who lived a life on the edge of death know how critical it is to push for peace instead.Glenn Hans is one such person. He is meeting rival gangs to convince them to honour a ceasefire. "I was also in this game. As long as you make a decision that you want to be a better person. That's all," he tells a group of gang members.One has a chilling response: "The more we kill, the more ground we seize and the more ground we have, the more we can build. So, for me to speak about peace - I cannot make that decision because it's not my decision to ensure peace."The ceasefire that is eventually agreed lasts just a few days, shattered by the killing of two people in a drive-by shooting.But some in the thick of the conflict have had enough.
Fernando - or Nando - Johnston is in a gang called the Mongrels, and he wants to try and find a way out with the help of Pastor Engel.The pastor describes Mr Johnston as being young and "born into the gang" since his whole family was involved."In this game there are only two options - it is either you go to jail or you die, " says Mr Johnston."I really do want to change direction and I believe there is always a way. That is the reason I approached the pastor - to ask him if there is a plan or way to take me."He will join a six- to 12-week programme of rehabilitation run by the pastor and funded by charitable donations designed to get people off drugs and into work."The thing is you can now start building yourself up again," Pastor Engel tells him. "You'll be able to get yourself a job and make money for yourself. Then you won't have to hustle and scavenge around here any more.""I'm ready to go, pastor," says Mr Johnston, poised to leave his battered and scarred community in search of a new path.Those closest to him have gathered to wish him well. His mother, Angeline April, holds back the tears, desperate that, this time, her son will choose life. "Please just make the best of this opportunity, Nando," she says."Yes mummy, I always make the best of a situation."But that has never been easy."Fernando's dad was a gangster but my other children's father was a gentleman," says Mr Johnston's mother."But because he was a gangster, the children also got involved in gangsterism despite me constantly warning them. It wasn't easy raising four boys on my own, you know. I'm always encouraging him to make a change, because I love him very much."And so far so good for Mr Johnston. Two weeks on from starting the programme, he is still there."Nando is stabilising. He's in a works programme. He's busy seeing his family, seeing his kids. He did a house visit yesterday. We let him loose and he came back and tested clear with no drugs in his system," says Pastor Engel.
Hope is a rare commodity here, but it does sometimes spring through the cracks in the streets that have seen so much trauma.Not all streets, though. Very little hope is found at Devon Africa and Undean Koopman's house, which sits in the middle of a battlefield.The cycle of killings and retaliation that hit the areas being fought over on the very edges of this beautiful South African city is overwhelming for many of those just struggling to survive.And those caught in the middle often have to make impossible choices."Community members, even if they are opposed to the gangs, are not necessarily pro-police for two reasons," says Mr Newham."One is that they just don't know the police will actually come if called. And if they do call the police, they have no idea if the police officers are corrupt. People don't understand the scale of the challenge in South Africa."Sentiments reflected by the peacemakers on the frontlines in this war. "Nobody is going to come from anywhere to help or save us. Not from overseas. Not from our local government. No-one is going to come with a magic wand to cure the Cape Flats," says Pastor Engel."As individuals we need to be so determined to build up resilience, create hope for our people and to grow. Because politics has clearly failed us."
More from BBC Africa Eye:
'Nowhere is safe' - Cameroonians trapped between separatists and soldiersBBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protestersSudan's years of war - BBC smuggles in phones to reveal hunger and fearSecret filming reveals brazen tactics of UK immigration scammers'Terrible things happened' - inside TB Joshua's church of horrors
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
23 minutes ago
- BBC News
Man charged with murder of woman after Stoke Newington gas blast
A man has been charged with the murder of a woman fatally stabbed after a gas explosion at her home in north London. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Bizarre pictures emerge of the Beauty and the Geek star now charged with the murder of her partner - after she was filmed posing TOPLESS in a wedding veil at a war memorial
Bizarre images have emerged of a former reality star standing topless on a war memorial, wearing a veil and holding a sharp object just weeks before she was charged with murder. The woman, 34, was arrested on Thursday after police responded to reports of a small fire at the South Australia home she shared with her partner in Port Lincoln. But when emergency services arrived, they found the body of a man inside. The 34-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder. Her identity, and the identity of the dead man, cannot be revealed for legal reasons. It is understood she had only moved in with the man a few months earlier. Just a few weeks before the alleged murder, the woman was seen standing topless at the Port Lincoln war memorial while wearing a white wedding dress-style veil. The eerie footage, broadcast by 7News, showed the woman motionless and silent while holding a sharp, pointed object at Port Lincoln's Garden of Remembrance. The weird behaviour was filmed by a passer-by and resurfaced after the tragic incident last week. The dead man's neighbours said the death had rocked their tight-knit community. One said he would often see the woman in passing on local streets. He said she was in a relationship with the alleged victim and had moved into his unit several months ago. 'She seemed normal, she was good,' he told 7News. 'It's devastating. This doesn't happen in a small town like Port Lincoln.' A second neighbour added: 'It's just sad. 'I was on the other side of town [when the fire happened], came back later … it was a shock for me.' A suppression order preventing the publication of any information that could identify the woman, the victim, or the specific details surrounding the man's death was imposed by Adelaide Magistrates Court. South Australia Police have confirmed the alleged victim and the accused were known to each other and had been in a relationship. Officers and forensics teams continue to gather evidence from within the unit, while police continue searches across town to piece together the woman's movements prior to the fire. Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said on Friday that a cause of death had not yet been determined and no further details could be released as the dead man's family had not yet been notified. 'There is a range of things at the scene that need to be worked through,' he added. 'It is a very complex scene.' The woman appeared at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday but did not apply for bail and has been detained under the Mental Health Act. She is expected to return to court in December. The suppression order is set to be reviewed on Friday, but in the meantime, online speculation has seen several other Beauty and The Geek stars wrongly accused. On Sunday, one former cast member of the defunct reality show hit back at false rumours that she was involved. Kiera Johnstone, who won the dating show in 2021, posted a statement on social media to clarify she was not the reality TV star arrested for the alleged murder. Johnstone, 26, messaged followers on Sunday after false speculation wrongly linked her with the allegations. 'A former contestant from Beauty and the Geek has been charged with a very serious crime,' she posted. 'Although no names have been released, for reasons beyond my understanding, there has been speculation online suggesting that I am involved. 'Let me be absolutely clear: I am not involved in any way. I have not been charged with a crime. 'I have literally never even had a parking fine. The allegations being discussed have nothing to do with me, and the fact that I even need to say this is incredibly upsetting. 'It's deeply disturbing to see people spreading false information, making assumptions and sharing screenshots. 'I understand the internet can be quick to judge, but this kind of speculation is damaging and invasive and is something I take very seriously. 'If you are part of the group fuelling this - sharing, gossiping or silently watching - I ask you to please stop. 'This is not entertainment. This is a serious situation, that involves alleged victims. You're literally sick if you think this is at all funny. 'As this has nothing to do with me, this will be the only time I speak on the matter. 'Thank you to those who reached out with kindness and common sense.'
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Police make renewed call over John 'Goldfinger' Palmer murder
Detectives have renewed their appeal for information 10 years after the murder of notorious and once wealthy criminal John "Goldfinger" 65-year-old was shot six times in the garden of his woodland mansion in South Weald near Brentwood at about 17:30 BST on 24 June earned his nickname after being accused of melting gold from the 1983 Brink's-Mat robbery and he scammed thousands of timeshare owners out of millions of pounds in Tenerife in the Police says his family still "rightly want answers" and believes loyalties in the "criminal fraternity" have changed. "His killing was a brutal, planned execution," said Det Supt Stephen Jennings of the Essex and Kent Serious Crime Directorate."Over the years there has been much commentary, media coverage and even television programmes speculating about his connections to the underworld, high profile crimes and his past."But whatever someone's past, John was a father, partner and much-loved by his family." In 1983, armed robbers stumbled upon £26m worth of gold, diamonds and cash in the Brink's-Mat warehouse near London Heathrow was found not guilty of conspiring to handle the stolen bullion at an Old Bailey trial in 1987, but the Met Police continued to investigate him. He amassed an estimated fortune of £300m in the 1990s, with a portfolio including mansions, helicopters, restaurants, a £750,000 yacht and classic in 2001, he was jailed for eight years at the Old Bailey for conspiracy to defraud, having scammed about 16,000 couples out of millions on Tenerife. In May 2015 - a month before his murder - Spanish prosecutors charged him with fraud, firearms possession and money laundering in relation to his timeshare believe a contract killer watched him through a spyhole in his fence at his property, before scaling the fence and shooting him at the only spot not covered by however, two police officers assessed his death as non-suspicious, owing to his wound from gall bladder surgery which took place a week earlier.A post-mortem examination on 30 June revealed he was actually shot in the chest, abdomen, arm, elbow, back and two officers later faced disciplinary action and Det Supt Jennings has previously admitted the force failed to carry out "background checks on John" and did not "really check the body well enough". In 2019, other individuals were found guilty as part of the same Spanish fraud indictment that Palmer had been charged with."We know the key to solving John's murder lies within the underworld and we have always suspected it may have been linked to the fraud trial," said Det Supt Jennings."A lot has changed within the criminal fraternity, including loyalties, and people may now feel able to come forward."A 43-year-old man from Rugby, Warwickshire, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder in 2015, but was released without February 2017, detectives said a 50-year-old man from Tyneside, who lived in southern Spain, was questioned on suspicion of murder in what was a voluntary interview. He faced no further with information can call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via its website Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
