Twins Rashied and Rashaad Staggie made a name for themselves when they formed one of the most notorious gangs in the country − the Hard Livings (HL).
The identical twins became the “heroes” in their hometown of Manenberg, where they were seen as modern-day Robin Hoods, but to the rest of the world they were evil incarnate.
They were known as “the untouchables”, and would reportedly toss R10 notes to school kids from the windows of their cars as they drove by.
The two started dealing in drugs in the early seventies as teenagers, and in 1971 started the HL gang.
Their reign of terror came to an end in August 1996, when Rashaad was killed in a vigilante attack by members of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad).
Pagad held a march in London Road, Salt River, where the Staggies lived.
During a confrontation, a petrol bomb was thrown at Rashaad, and while burning, he was shot and killed.
Twenty-three years after his death, his twin brother died in a hail of bullets in the same street, in front of their home.
In 2003, Rashied Staggie was sentenced to jail after he was convicted for ordering the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 15 years for kidnapping and rape.
Hard Livings gang leader Rashied Staggie. Brenton Geach African News Agency (ANA)
The woman, a police informer, testified that Staggie took her to an isolated spot in August 2001, and forced her at gunpoint to have sex with three men.
Before his release from jail, Staggie converted to Christianity and apologised for his past sins.
In July 2013, the then 28-year-old woman and mother of six was shot three times in an alleged revenge attack by the Hard Livings.
In September 2013, after serving ten years, Staggie was released by the Department of Correctional Services for good behaviour.
Prior to that, in 2004, he was also sentenced to 13 years after he was found guilty of burglary at the Faure police armoury.
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