When ‘Hard Livings’ gang boss Rashied Staggie was gunned down outside his home in Salt River last year, many in the community feared that it would lead to an escalation of violence in the days and weeks that followed.

That never really materialised, and research into Staggie’s killing suggests that underworld bosses were actually happy to see the back of him, and were fed up with his ‘double life’.

Now it appears that the Cape’s gangs have a common enemy once more, and it’s COVID-19.

Fresh off their coverage of South Africa’s “ruthlessly efficient” response to the pandemic, the BBC with more:

An unprecedented truce has broken out in the notorious, gang-infested townships around Cape Town, as rival gang leaders stop their endless turf wars and instead bring food to struggling households.

With South Africa currently in the middle of a lockdown to try to control the spread of coronavirus, many people in poor communities are struggling to buy the goods that they need.

Andrew Harding reports, with Karen Schoonbee producing and Barnaby Mitchell manning the camera:

Whilst COVID-19 may well still prove to be a deadly killer, I’m sure those who have been living in fear are glad for the temporary reprieve.

You only need to read the horror stories of mothers who have lost children to the senseless violence to understand.

[source:bbc]