After more than three years of fighting, things are looking up for warring gangs in Gugulethu.
On Monday 18 April, concerned residents and gang members converged at Luyolo Centre for peace negotiations.
The event was organised by members of the Ward 40 and Ward 44 neighbourhood watches. Among others, the march was attended by the Gugulethu Community Policing Forum, Ilitha Labantu and representatives of Abathunywa Ministers Fraternity. It was preceded by a march from the Gugulethu Police Station and went through New Rest, Masonwabe, NY 111 to Luyolo Centre.
Gunyanga Neighbourhood Watch Group Federation chair Dion Makiti described the event as a great initiative. He said their aim is to bring peace and unity among the young people in Gugulethu.
“We decided to step in because we noticed that the young people are dying every day. And since 2018 these young boys are fighting each other for pitiful things,” said Makiti.
He described the gang war in the community as a challenge and appealed to the parents to work with the police instead of protecting their children when they are involved in wrongdoing.
“The ages of some gang members are as young as 13 years old. Some of them don’t even know what they are fighting for,” he stated.
Abathunywa Ministers Fraternity president and leader of Apostolic Amen Church in Zion Rev Zama Mfihlo said it is time for the religious leaders to come forward and pray for the societies.
He identified the use of drugs and alcohol as major problems in most communities.
“Let’s stop shouting or raising our voices when we speak with young children. We need to talk to them in the language that they will understand. Some children are coming from vulnerable families and they need support,” said Mfihlo.
He said their aim is to provide spiritual support to the young boys.
One gang member from New Rest, who named himself as Sphe (18), said he joined the group in 2019. “Some of the boys in my area were fighting with another group from NY 111. So, some of us who were not even part of it at that time were also affected. I decided to join it for the sake of safety,” said Sphe.
He stated that he wants to leave gangsterism because he witnessed some of his friends dying during the gang war.
Gugulethu police spokesperson Sergt Sindisiwe Ngqele said they want society to recognise local safety structures.
“The march was about gangsterism and also introducing the neighbourhood watch to the community. We want people to recognise the neighbourhood watch in the community,” said Ngqele. She said police officers are against any wrongdoing.
“We’ve seen these children killing each other at school, in the community and on public transport. However, they pledged to stop fighting and thanked the community for their intervention,” she said, adding that officers do not condone any sort of crime.
Ngqele emphasised that the police will arrest anyone who continues fighting regardless of their ages.