Manenberg residents say they are shocked to learn that even female skollies are now picking up guns to shoot in their community.
This as gang bosses in the community called a truce after a six-month gang war and several shootings claiming multiple lives.
The Daily Voice can reveal that high-ranking skollies met at the V&A Waterfront last week, where they shook hands and agreed to lay down their guns in one of the bloodiest turf wars ever recorded on the Cape Flats.
The unprecedented war saw members of the Fancy Boys, Hard Livings, Americans and Clever Kids gangs open fire on mekaar in a bid to protect their turf.
According to a source, the main problem was skollies jumping ship when they had to be punished by their gangs.
“Ons het gaan sit in die Waterfront laas week toe besluit ons om peace te maak. Daar was baie dinge wat aangegaan het, veral met die mense wat soe kamp gejump het.
“Die ding is, ons het oek ’n wet en mense het weg gehardloop na ander kampe as hulle moet pak kry. But dit is nou peace,” the source revealed.
Vanessa Adriaanse of the Community Police Forum says residents have been living in fear for months.
“We reached out to the gang bosses to talk to them. Before that we held imbizos, marches and openly pleaded with them to make peace because we have never seen a war like this before,” she explained.
“What was shocking to see was that even during Ramadaan they continued to shoot. It was so bad that we would start every month off with about six murders.
“We were told to hold on as they would meet first and they informed us that they have now made peace.”
Vanessa says the murder of young mom Tamsyn Phillips, 23, rocked the community after it was discovered that she was shot and killed by a woman.
Tamsyn was hit in Dina Court in May. She had apparently witnessed the Fancy Boys gang killing a member of the Hard Livings, and was hunted down and shot multiple times in the head.
“What made it worse is that she was shot by a woman. The shooter was then later shot and killed in a revenge attack.
“This completely shocked everyone to see how women are also picking up guns and carrying out hits,” Vanessa said.
The community has now started joining neighbourhood watches and street committees and have called on the gangs to keep their promise of a truce, she added.