Cape Town - Kleinmond residents who protested against drug-abuse with marches in 2013 and 2014 have acknowledged they lived peacefully near 28s drug dens a few kilometres from Kleinmond’s main beach.
Ernie Solomon owns one of three adjacent properties. One of his neighbours said: “I know him well. He’s a stoute kabouter (naughty gnome) He’s scarce. He’s got workers doing his dirty work.”
Several described the drug dealers they claimed sold tik, heroin and Mandrax, as “polite”.
“They’re as meek as doves. We have a very good relationship with them. They’ve been to our house. They just want to get out and change their lives, but they can’t get out because they could expose the network,” a woman said.
Her male friend said: “They’re clever. They look after our homes properly. It’s their way of getting the community on their side.”
One of the three properties is owned by the homeless ex-girlfriend of a friend of Solomon. She made the mistake of signing as homeowner and now she’s disqualified from a government housing subsidy, neighbours said.
Residents said they often got a glimpse of a relative of Solomon in his 30s, who attends some of the grandest functions in Kleinmond as well as the local church. He is protected by bodyguards and is always driven by a chauffeur.
“We don’t report cases because it’s too dangerous. This is a very large and wide network,” a resident said.
On a Saturday night after the protests, residents smashed the garage doors of one of the homes “because their children were hanging out there, but the gangsters quickly fixed it. They didn’t retaliate”, a neighbour said.
Another interrupted him: “They won’t retaliate. It’s cheaper to fix it than to lose your base.”
They spoke of how one of the drug dealers caused a fight in the street outside one of the drug dens. He was immediately relocated, but later allowed to return.
“No violence is allowed. You are not allowed to fight with someone. Then, you get taken away for a while to prevent investigations or court cases,” was another comment.
Residents said the drug dealers were treated like regular employees. They received a monthly salary, enjoyed weekends off and were banned from using drugs or touching the drug money.
A man said: “They won’t look for trouble with anybody. Meanwhile, they’re destroying our children. The community sleeps. Until one of your children gets involved”.
Weekend Argus