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Happy day 301 of lockdown, South Africa.

Sure, the restrictive measures over the course of that time have varied (remember when you could only leave the house to go to the shops?), but throughout the duration of the lockdown, our poorest citizens have suffered the most.

That’s due to the failings of our government, which have created a void that gang kingpins and criminal enterprises are only too happy to fill.

In areas like the Cape Flats, reports The Daily Maverick, “gang kingpins…have adopted Mafia-like tactics by providing services that the government fails to deliver”.

According to Richard Chelin, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, the gangs have stepped in to meet certain community needs, using the money earnt through their illegal operations in the same communities:

He said gang leaders have cemented their legitimacy and no matter what they do, as long as the community benefits, many residents might not see anything wrong, while those who do, keep quiet for fear of retribution…

During Covid-19, gang leaders have distributed food in the Cape Flats…

Criminal intelligence analyst Martin Fleischmann said, “Directly or indirectly, [gangsters] provide some sort of security in return for [communities’] support.

“Directly, they supply small amounts of loans or gifts in exchange for support or to use their property as hiding places. Indirectly, they have a network of people working at certain key areas where they receive benefits. There is no doubt that they would capitalise on the Covid-19 pandemic to help community members who suffered from job losses,” he said.

In areas like Manenberg, the Hard Livings, Americans, Clever Kids, and Dixies gangs operate with impunity, hiding their drugs in various locations, and turning the children who live there into mules or even hitmen.

Bishop Lavis and Elsies River are said to be under the control of the 28s gang, who have even opened their own ‘police station’, where residents can lay complaints and offenders are dealt with by gang members:

Here’s a community worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity:

“People are too scared to talk about the 28s’ dictatorship running Valhalla Park like their own little township. The situation has deteriorated since the outbreak of Covid-19 and it is going to get worse with more and more people about to lose their jobs.”

Frightening, and heartbreaking, in equal measures.

You can read the full Daily Maverick article here.

[source:dailymaverick]