Effect of gangsterisme

1. Bring problem to community

2. The environment is not safe anymore
3. Many People fear
4. Many public amenities damage
5. Gangsterism is an age-old problem that has affected families as well as whole communities.
Entire towns and cities have, at one stage or another, had to deal with the scourge that is
gangsterism. Innocent men, women and children have knowingly and unknowingly
become entangled with gangsters. Most have suffered dearly as a result. Many still bear the
scars of their involvement; both physical and emotional scars. Countless others have lost
their lives, usually in a savage manner and sometimes for something of little or no
significance. Those that have tried to get out, have either been hunted and killed, or are now
fugitives, living in fear of being found by their fellow gang members.

Over the years, gangsterism evolved, changing with the times, with new gangs springing up,
changing or disintegrating. Their modus operandi also evolved with time. Most of the old
terminology retained its nineteenth century significance, although much of it became distorted or
started to mean something different altogether. Gangs also became more dangerous and violent.
Whole communities or sections of towns or cities lived in fear of gangsters. Disruptions and
intimidation became more prevalent. Gangs gained more and more power in communities, and
they began spreading. The forced removals of Coloureds from District Six in 1966, helped
disperse gangsterism throughout the Cape Flats.

In essence, there are two types of gangs street gangs and organised gangs. Street gangs are
usually smaller, of lesser significance and less problematic. These are usually youngsters, who
congregate on street corners, smoke dagga, drink and intimidate passers-by. They resort to
robbing and stealing to support their drug and alcohol habits. Larger gangs normally keep these
youngsters in check, offering them jobs like selling drugs in their neighbourhoods. It is these
larger gangs, on the other hand, that are more problematic.
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The gangs operate like well-organised institutions. They consist of lower and upper structures
governed by strict codes of conduct and gang rules. Breaking any of the rules, or the code of
conduct, could mean death. Many who have tried have paid with their lives.

Gangs control large areas, usually communities or parts of cities and towns. These areas are
known as turfs. Each gang normally has their own turf, which they guard with their lives from
other gangs. Here they manipulate their illicit activities, which include prostitution, drug dealing
and shebeens.
Many young girls are coerced or forced into prostitution by gangs, who sometimes drag
them from their homes in full view of their helpless families. The girls end up being raped by
many gang members, and then forced to sell their bodies on the streets. Whatever money they
receive goes to the gang. They either get a pittance for their efforts, or are fed drugs to blur their
tragic reality. Getting out is then almost impossible, as they fear the gang may kill them or
members of their families.



Property owners and some store owners must pay protection fees to the local gang. If not,
the gang would make it very difficult for them, using intimidation tactics and threats. Many of
these have been carried out, resulting in either loss of property or death.

Despite this, many communities have become dependent on the illegal and sometimes
dangerous activities of gangsters. Money-laundering is big business for any gang. That is why
controlling and protecting large turfs are so important. People who may never obtain loans
elsewhere, are afforded loans by large gangs. In return, the gangsters get paid interest on
the loans they hand out. On the other hand, communities would not readily expose their saviours
either out of fear, or because they would have nowhere to go to obtain their monthly loans.
They see the gang as providing a much-needed service. Most people in gang-ridden
communities are either unemployed, or make so little money, they are forced to turn to the
gangsters for help. On the other extreme, non-payment of an account held with gangsters could
result in tragic consequences.

Most people are roped into gangsterism at an early age, from the ages of ten to sixteen years.
Their leaders would be between thirty and fifty years of age. Because of the poverty-stricken
environments they come from, many males are drawn into the gang arena by the attraction of
money, power and glamour with which they associate gangsterism. They dream of the flashy
cars, massive gold jewellery, immense amounts of money, and the power to control a whole town
as their ultimate goal. In reality, however, it is far from being what they thought it would be. Yet,
as youngsters, they do not see further than their own ignorance. From the moment they join a
gang, their lives become an orgy of murders, robberies, rapes and drunkenness that they would
sometimes not understand or have wanted.

Sub-economic areas, where gangsterism is the most prevalent and problematic, are good training
grounds for would-be gangsters. In most instances, both parents are either unemployed or both
are working, leaving their children unattended or with strangers. Gangs quickly exploit such
situations. In fact, they thrive on it, offering youngsters a surrogate family setup which gives the
youngsters a sense of belonging. In most cases, youths are used to commit the crimes - such as
murder, rape, etc effectively obscuring the leadership from being identified. Often, the order to
commit a crime is filtered thorugh the ranks of a gang. Thus, the person committing the crime
never knows who gave the order. The police, therefore, are never able to get hold of the
leadership.

Smaller gangs, usually made up of youngsters, are also normally swallowed up by larger, more
prominent gangs who then use the youngsters to commit the crimes for them. This is evident in
the number of youngsters being arrested for murder and possession of illegal firearms. It must
also be noted that there are females in gangs as well. Girls on drugs, or those prostituting for
gangs sometimes class themselves as gang members. They may form their own gang, which is
regarded as an affiliate of the main, male-dominated gang. Females never attain any status of
importance within any of the large gangs. They are usually used by gang leaders to do jobs men
would otherwise find more difficult, like smuggling drugs or coercing prostitutes into the gangs
prostitution ring. It is rare for a female to get involved in a gang fight between male gangs.

Some areas in metropolises and cities areidentified as gang hotspots It is within these
areas that gangs have the most influence. It is also here where youngsters are taught their first
steps into the world of the gang. Because of the violence caused by fighting between gangs,
many innocent people including women and children - get caught in the crossfire. Many have
been maimed for life. Countless others have lost their lives. Recent newspaper reports attest to
that.

The extent of the problem is so far-reaching that nobody not the police or government can say
when gangsterism would be addressed in its finality. Many are still unconvinced that increasing
police force members would stop or reduce gang activities, Self-defence of individuals and
communities is the only way to fight gangsterism. The police and government have thus far
failed. Many innocent people are losing their lives while the police concentrate on disarming
rather than arming the people. If people in gang-ridden areas were taught to arm themselves and
take a stand against the thugs that traumatise them daily, the gangsters would have the tables
turned on them. The truth is, gangsters prefer unarmed victims and like all criminals, gangsters
fear armed citizens.