Carlo Petersen
THERE have been running gun battles in Manenberg every day for the past week – which have left a number of people injured and there have been several unconfirmed deaths.
Yesterday morning, in the busy Pecos Walk, rival gangs fired at each other, residents dived for cover and the police were quickly on the scene.
While the guns were dropped, gangsters picked up rocks and bottles, which they hurled at each other and the police.
Residents say the sudden upsurge in violence followed the death of Leeroy Louw, 28, who was shot 11 times and died near his home in Rio Grande Lane on April 3.
Louw was allegedly a member of the Dixie Boys gang and had walked through Hard Livings territory.
His killing sparked the gang war which, according to Community Safety Forum chairperson Roegshanda Pascoe, has left a number of people dead. Police were unable to confirm the death toll.
Most of the shooting has taken place between Pecos Walk and Rio Grande Lane.
Residents said one of the gangs called in reinforcements from Hanover Park. They claimed the reinforcements were scouting the area and shooting indiscriminately, which had added to the fear. There had been sporadic shots fired, which became increasingly frequent, culminating in yesterday’s gun battle.
Manenberg has been reasonably quiet for months and residents say they were taken by surprise when the shooting started, and they were confounded by Louw’s killing, saying there had not been any tension between the gangs.
Following yesterday’s gun battle, police launched an operation to curb the gang violence. However, residents turned on the police, saying they were going after the wrong people.
The Cape Times witnessed residents throwing stones at two police vans and a Nyala after officers allegedly accosted a resident in Rio Grande Lane.
Gino Juries, 24, was drinking beer with his neighbours at 15 E Rio Grande Lane when the two police vans and Nyala pulled up in front of them.
“They jumped out and pushed me and my friend inside. I fell over and one of the officers tramped on my neck, choking me. I’m not a gangster and when we asked them to explain themselves, they just laughed and left,” Juries said.
When the Cape Times arrived, a police officer in combat gear was standing guard behind a closed gate while Juries could be seen lying on his stomach inside the property. When asked what they were doing, the officer said they were questioning suspects linked to a recent murder.
Resident Audrey Woodland, 63, allegedly punched and kicked officers as they made their way off the premises.
“I’m angry because they pushed me to the ground and swore at me,” Woodland said.
Louw’s mother, Lavona, said her son was shot 11 times on his way home from work.
“He walked through the HL’s territory because there were no gang fights at that time. If there was fighting, he wouldn’t have walked that way,” Lavona said.
She said two men on foot and two on bicycles opened fire on Louw as he approached his home. “I know he murdered too. I want my son’s killers to know that I forgive them,” she said.
Lavona Louw said the community has lost faith in the police.
Pascoe, who has been a community worker in Manenberg for more than 20 years, echoed Lavona’s sentiments yesterday. “This weekend our whole community was in uproar and flames with gang violence. This morning the gangs came into this road (Pecos Walk) and started shooting and when the police arrived, they resorted to throwing glass bottles and stones at each other.”
She said the “biggest fear” was a lack of police resources.
Provincial police commissioner Khombinkosi Jula said:
“There is nothing unusual about the recent gang violence. It is the same like it has always been. We have extra resources at police stations and an intervention team which reacts when there is an upsurge in gang violence. Our strategy to eradicate gang violence has not changed, but we are more focused on getting rid of the gang bosses than the drug runners.”