Durban - As warring drug cartels battle it out to increase their territory across South African communities, it’s the residents who are caught in the crossfire with deadly shootings becoming an almost daily occurrence in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Cape Town.
Last weekend, an 83-year-old’s leg was grazed after a bullet was shot into the Sydenham Heights flat where he and his 76-year-old wife have lived in for the last 33 years.
Sydenham Heights, three high-rise blocks of tenement flats west of the Durban city centre and home to hundreds of people young and old, has become the epicentre of brutal and bloody turf war between local drug gang and members of Cape Town’s Hard Living gang who have moved into the area.
The pensioner said he was lying on the bed when he felt something hot on his leg. The couple are frail and live alone.
In another flat, a mother said her son was lying on the couch and had just gotten up when a bullet was fired into their home. Fortunately no one was hurt.
A 16-year-old boy was shot in the foot while walking home from school. Residents say the boy ran into the flats for safety and only realised later that he’d been shot.
Last week, at least three people were wounded in a shooting at the Durban Magistrate’s Court. It is alleged that the shooting stems from ongoing gang violence in Wentworth while in Newlands, a mother and son were murdered in a drive-by shooting. Meanwhile, a suspect hitman was killed in a shooting. Police found a cache of firearms and ammunition and are searching for two more accomplices.
Residents say they are tired of living in fear and are calling on police to intervene.
Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Jay Naicker, said the war is between drug dealers fighting for turf.
“This is a lucrative market and as we know from drug dealers in other parts of the province and country, they are prepared to kill each other for this piece of the market,” he said.
In Gauteng, additional police officers were deployed to Eldorado Park following a wave of gang-related shootings. This week, several residents, NPOs and NGOs camped outside the police station in protest.
MMC for Public Safety, David Tembe, said the deployment will last for three months.
This week, in Westbury, a man was allegedly shot several times during a suspect gang-related shoot-out. A resident claimed that the “beef” is between two gangs, the Fast Guns and Varados, both fighting for turf. Shootings often take place in full view of the community.
Violence monitor Mary de Haas said the government is not serious about dealing with the scourge.
“So young lives are ruined while the drug mafias make money,” she said.
De Haas said just over 20 years ago, a friend had taken her to an area in Moses Kotane (formerly Sparks) Road where they saw police vehicles parked outside a business.
“It was pointed out how the police were there taking their kickbacks. And that’s the problem.. whether it’s Wentworth or Cato Manor or Sydenham, it’s getting worse. Other notorious areas are Phoenix or Chatsworth where some police officers are bought off,” she said.
She added that situation was not new. De Haas said the problem is that police do not go after the big guns, they instead arrest the smaller dealers.
Cape Talk reported that more than 150 suspects were arrested in drug-related offences early this month.
Alderman JP Smith said during general enforcement efforts, Metro Police officers arrested 100 suspects and issued 3 626 fines. Among those arrested were 47 suspects for the illegal possession of drugs.
The SAPS national office has not responded to a request for comment at the time of publishing.
IOL