Led by members of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD), marchers stood outside each suspected “drug den” and issued warnings.

“You must stop smuggling (drugs)” Haroon Orrie of PAGAD told people outside one of the alleged drug houses.

“You are destroying the community. Do you have no shame?” he asked. Orrie told the police that there are “drugs in this home and we need to search it”, but police told him to move on.

“Don’t play with the community. Your time is up,” he told people standing outside the home.

The marchers, surrounded by a contingent of public order police with shields, chanted slogans such as “One gangster one bullet. One merchant one bullet”, “Long live PAGAD”, and “Down with the gangsters. Down with the drug dealers”.

Resident Kaashiefa Arnolds came out of her home during the march and complained that gang violence was rife in the area. “They shoot every night…They rob people every day,” she shouted. “We live in fear here.” She said in July a 15-year-old had been shot dead near her home.

Tensions peaked as marchers tried to break through the police line to get to houses they had identified as drug dens. Police used riot shields and fired a few stun grenades. The march was brought to an abrupt end.

“We are here to help and make a difference within this community,” said Zahrah Kriel of PAGAD. She said residents want to live in a safe area again. “We will not stand back to any gangster or drug dealer”.

Community activist Relston Lakay claimed that gangsters were being protected by the police. Lakay said that parents had to spend money on transport because it was not safe for their children to walk to school.

He said the march was “a stepping stone” to bring hope back into the community, where gang activity has been on the rise in recent months.

Written by Ashraf Hendricks for GroundUp and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.

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Phillips was one of over 100 people who joined an anti-gang and drug march in Mitchells Plain on Sunday 7 September.

The march was held under the banner of People against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD) G-Force, a splinter group of PAGAD.

Watched over by a large police contingent, including public order police and metro cops, the protesters marched through Beacon Valley and Eastridge, suburbs where drug houses are alleged to be concentrated in Mitchells Plain.

Protesters shouted Arabic verses and slogans. They also chanted: “One merchant, one bullet; one gangster, one bullet”, and “death” to the Fancy Boys and Americans, two prominent gangs.

Members of the EFF and the PA supported the march.

Phillips said there was a lack of “political will” to deal with the issue. She also blamed absent fathers, poverty and unemployment. She said gangsters have become role models. Youngsters see flashy cars, money and nice clothing and aspire to become gangsters, she said.

Later on Sunday, three men were shot and killed in Tafelsig, the neighbouring suburb. That the killings were “gang-related has not been ruled out”, said a SAPS statement.

Last week, a person was killed and five were wounded in Beacon Valley. In July, gang violence left five people dead in Mitchells Plain. From April to August, SAPS Western Cape seized 800 illegal firearms and 679 suspects were arrested for murder, mostly gang-related.

Zainoneesa Rashid, PAGAD G-Force secretary, said the police were failing and “we need to take back our streets”.

During the march, GroundUp observed police forcing onlookers indoors. They also shut all side roads.

Before the march started, the police ordered people marching to remove their masks. Rashid said that this was dangerous as “some of these people are being targeted by gangsters”.

Rashid said that they are calling on religious leaders to join the fight against gangsterism.

Written by Ashraf Hendricks for GroundUp and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.

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