Active gangs terrorising Elsies Rivier and surrounding areas include The G Units, The Terribles, The Rebels and The Horribles, which have made walking the streets a dangerous activity. (File photo Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)
Some Western Cape community policing forums (CPFs) have allegedly been infiltrated by people linked to gangs that are holding residents hostage and scuppering the work of bonafide crime fighters.
Elsies River CPF spokesperson Imraahn Ismail-Mukaddam and Manenburg councillor Hanif Loonat, who is also a former chairperson of the CPF board, said that they believe the forums have been “infiltrated by people connected to gangs”.
But both the Manneberg CPF and the CPF board have denied the allegations as defamatory, with the former claiming Loonat is merely dissatisfied with the results of the recent CPF elections.
The Western Cape police said they had appointed a senior officer to investigate the allegations, while the province’s police oversight and community safety spokesperson said “no evidence” of the alleged infiltration had been provided, but that the ombud would be asked to investigate.
“There are two influences within the CPF. There is natural contestation for leadership positions and personality clashes and organisational dynamics that you would find in any structure. But the second influence is actually destabilising CPFs as a strategy by gang affiliates,” Ismail-Mukaddam said.
“Being a member of the CPF gives individuals an insight into what’s happening in the community policing strategy. Information that you can sell [such as tips from informants] also gives you access to patronage by the more powerful gang leaders. If you’re somebody familiar with the gang leaders but they don’t really know about you, the moment you join the CPF you become known and you have access, and this gives you privilege.
“If you interact with gang leaders they welcome you as an insider. There is this infiltration of CPFs by sympathisers to gangs or even just opportunists.”
He said the alleged infiltration by individuals who are either connected to gangs or have serious criminal records was why a recent investigation by the CPF Board had led to a recommendation to dissolve the Elsies River CPF.
Ismail-Mukaddam said a “disgruntled group” of people who the CPF had disciplined — one has already been expelled and a second has been suspended — had complained to the board.
“But this board is also compromised. They’re using political connections to try and get out of the disciplinary processes,” Ismail-Mukaddam said.
“Unfortunately, as much as we shout that the government is corrupt and the police are corrupt, we have community volunteer organisations that are also corrupt and that are abusing the privileges and the system, either for criminal intent or financial gain because of the influence of gangs.”
He said the CPF had rejected the board’s recommendation to dissolve and it was operating as normal.
Ismail-Mukkadam alleged that there are also “ghost” neighbourhood watch groups that are collecting R10 000 a year from the state without protecting communities.
Gang murders
Active gangs terrorising Elsies River and surrounding areas include The G Units, The Terribles, The Rebels and The Horribles, which have made walking the streets a dangerous activity.
Children are not exempt from this danger, as highlighted by the murder of Grantham Jahmiel van Reenen, 14, who was gunned down in gang cross-fire while walking home from school on 16 November.
Elsies River religious leader Bishop Emmanuel van Niekerk said the gang violence is “a direct consequence of rampant drug trafficking”.
“The grim truth is this violence is unlikely to diminish as long as the police remain ineffective in combating the drug trade. The recent deaths and incarcerations of numerous gang leaders and drug lords have created a power vacuum, one that has proven too challenging for law enforcement to navigate, resulting in a troubling escalation of gang violence and bloodshed,” he said.
New gangs have emerged in recent years that have aggressively recruited young people.
“The result has been an alarming increase in killings and violence, as these groups vie for control in a chaotic and dangerous environment. For many young boys, the allure of quick wealth through the drug trade often overshadows the significant risks involved. The absence of fathers in many households has led these young men to feel a misguided sense of responsibility to provide for their families,” Van Niekerk said.
“Faced with record-high unemployment, joining a gang and engaging in drug trafficking seems to them like a viable means of survival.”
He said this had led to an escalation of drug addiction and crime.
“Community leaders and activists find themselves in precarious positions, often compromised by the financial muscle of drug lords who wield their drug money as a weapon of influence. The situation is far more complex than it may appear, with deep-rooted socio-economic issues intertwined with the rise of gangsterism.
“When one observes the troubling phenomenon of community members throwing stones at police vans during attempts to apprehend gangsters, it raises a critical question: why does this happen? Is it possible that these gangsters provide financial support to families, using drug money to contribute to their livelihoods? The uncomfortable reality is many individuals feel a sense of dependency on the very criminals that threaten their safety,” Van Niekerk said.
He said this complex relationship complicates the fight against gangsterism and highlights deep-rooted problems.
Influence and economic dependence
Loonat, a former CPF board chairperson, said the infiltration of the forums by people linked to gangs had begun in about 2016. Such people had joined the Manenberg CPF with the help of police while prominent crime fighters had been excluded during its recent election.
He called for an inquiry into the elections as well as into CPF appointments in other precincts.
“I am shocked with how the police interfered with the process and are clearly in collusion with the criminals. One of the elected members arbitrates on behalf of gangsters,” Loonat said.
Manenberg CPF chairperson Vernon Visagie challenged Loonat to provide him with the names of people alleged to be linked to gangsters, saying all members had been vetted by the police.
“He needs to come forward with the names and we can get it sorted and will deal with it,” he said.
Visagie accused Loonat of pulling a “political stunt which didn’t work” to affect the election.
“Then he tried to blame it on religion and it didn’t work. Now, all of a sudden, he says we are infiltrated. If he hasn’t got any proof, I’m definitely going to lay charges [of defamation]. Our CPF is not going to mess around,” he said.
CPF board spokesperson Rafique Foflonker said Loonat’s comments are “defamatory and dangerous” and that members undergo regular vetting and fingerprint screening.
“The allegations in this instance are baseless and reckless, casting unwarranted aspersions on over 1 800 dedicated community volunteers in this province, some of whom have been injured or lost their lives in the line of duty,” he said.
“Claims of corruption and gang infiltration, without evidence, are not only defamatory but dangerous, especially in an environment where such accusations can incite hostility and violence.”
Foflonker added that the Elsies River dispute “remains under due process”.
“Initial complaints received earlier this year were investigated by the Provincial Board Dispute Resolution Commission, which recommended further investigation. A senior police member, independent of the station in question, conducted this investigation. The investigation concluded with a recommendation to dissolve the CPF,” he said.
Western Cape Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said the allegations had been “noted with great concern by the South African Police Service provincial” and that a senior officer has been appointed to investigate the claims.
Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety spokesperson Jan Joubert said the allegations of infiltration and police involvement were concerning, but no evidence had been provided and the department would ask the police and the Western Cape police ombud to investigate the matter.
He said the department works closely with the SAPS provincial office and the CPF board to facilitate forum elections and to support their functionality. He said all CPF executives are vetted by the police.
Joubert said the department was not aware of ghost neighbourhood watch structures. Such structures must be accredited by the local police and endorsed by the CPF.
In addition, the department and the auditor general monitor how the money is spent and “structures have to provide proof that the funding was spent on the intended purpose”.