Heideveld residents march against recent gang violence

This follows the death of a 20-year-old man known to the community as Duggy. He was shot dead in a drive-by shooting allegedly by a rival gang last month.

During the peaceful march, a memorandum was handed to an officer at the Manenberg police station.

The memorandum calls for increased police visibility and patrols, and a more competent police service. The community also wants the police to address the community in an appropriate manner, and to increase stop-and-search patrols in the community.

One of the community leaders, Estelle Coetzee, said it is time for community members to reclaim the area from gangsters in order to avoid more innocent bystanders being killed.

“To see one of the youngsters we knew being killed by gangsters was hard. He wasn’t a gangster, but in this area so many innocent people die. Heideveld used to be safe years ago, but now it’s dangerous to be outside after 6pm,” she said.

Coetzee said residents live in constant fear of being caught in crossfire when rival gangs, Junky Funky Kids and the Westsiders, battle over territory for drug trade in the area.

“Gangs are recruiting children as young as 13 because they know they won’t go to jail. Shots go off regularly here, whether it’s during the day, when children are coming home from school, or at night. We need police to be here to monitor this at all times to ensure our children are safe,” she said.

Coetzee also works for a community non-profit organisation called Athlone Family in Focus which primarily deals with homeschooling for children aged three months to nine years.

“It’s our duty as a community to hold police accountable … Over the next month, we will be monitoring to see if the gangsters stop shooting,” she said.

“gangsterism - it’s like a hobby”

GroundUp visited the area on Monday and spoke to two known members of the Junky Funky Kids. They identified themselves as Sanie, who is 16, and Fonnie, who is 26. The pair were standing near an open field known by the community as the “hotspot.”

While they were hesitant to talk about their involvement in gangs, Sanie said the lack of sports activities and work often left young people no choice.

“They wake up in the morning just to do it. Everyone does it because it’s like a hobby; something for us to do here. I was still young when I was shot at for the first time because of who I was friends with and I had to shoot back. That’s how I started,” he said.

Sanie, who has been expelled from school numerous times, said he would like to go back one back.

“I want to go back, but they won’t take me. It’s also hard to just leave this [gang life] behind, because they [rival gangs] come and cause trouble this side and shoot at your friends,” he said.

Fonnie said the fight over territory in the area had been going on for years.

“This is nothing new, just some people in the community will sell you out more now. We are also part of the community,” he said.

Manenberg Community Policing Forum chairman Randall April attended the march on Saturday.

April said, while police can only do so much, it was up to the community to be the eyes and ears on the ground.

“The smallest thing can spark a shooting, so we never know when it’s going to happen. More arrests can be made if the community shared information with the police. We are planning to increase creative activities like sports in the area as well to help keep the children off the streets,” he said.