March against gangs turns into race clash
|Published
A march organised by residents gatvol of gangsterism in Delft turned into an issue of ethnic conflict. Picture: Jack Lestrade
A march organised by residents who are gatvol of gangsterism in Delft turned into an issue of ethnic conflict on Saturday
The idea was for a handful of Delft South mense to point out gang hideouts and destroy the shacks.
But they had not anticipated a clap back from black residents in the area.
Demonstration leaders Shirley de Bruyn and husband Francois were accused of targeting black people’s hokkies.
A group of 10 people walked from Palm Street to Kamassie Street with Francois armed with a bucket of paint, a brush and an axe.
He started painting “Gang Hideout” on a hokkie while his wife started removing nails.
But a neighbour Siphokazi Baleni, 27, shouted from her yard: “Why don’t you go to the coloured’s hokkies?
“If this is about ma-darkies against ma-coloureds then break it down and we will go to the coloured hokkies and destroy them too.”
She then accused coloured residents of turning a blind eye when their children rob them.
“Their children are gangsters but they don’t want to take action against them, instead they come to our people and accuse them of hiding gangsters.
“You need to be better parents to your children first and stop trying to destroy people’s properties.”
After the police arrived Francois removed the writing and apologised to the neighbours.
Officers spoke to both parties and the De Bruyn couple left the area.
Francois says: “Even if coloured people hide gangsters we will go to them too, if anything happens we want to know about it whether they are black or coloured."