Manenberg’s top cop has hung up his lapels and said his final goodbyes to colleagues at the Manenberg Police Station after serving at the helm of one of the most notorious gang communities for nearly a decade.
Brigadier Sanele Zama retired this week after recently turning 60 years old and serving in SAPS for 38 years.
Zama, who is originally from KwaZulu-Natal, says he was inspired by his late grandmother to join public services in the 1980s.
“She worked as a teacher in the riots and that spurred my love for the community and public service, so I enrolled in the SAPS college in Hammanskraal in 1986,” he recalls.
In 1995, he came to Cape Town and worked at various stations including Table View, Lwandle and Macassar before being transferred to Manenberg in 2015.
Zama, who served as the Visible Policing Commander, says he spent many days at the cold front coming face-to-face with gangs and gunmen amid bloody gang wars that Manenberg had become notorious for.
In 2019, he was promoted to station commander and given the rank of brigadier.
He explains during this tenure, the precinct was hard hit by the fallout of the murders of Hard Livings gang boss Rashied Staggie and later the assassination of Staggie’s son, Abdullah Boonzaaier.
“After his father was killed, many point a finger at Dullah. He always felt entitled to the HLs throne and even started the Terrible HLs in Woodstock. It was a very interesting time for the people of Manenberg, as some sought revenge, and the grand funeral they hosted for Staggie.’
In recent years, the Fancy Boys gangs had muscled their way in Manenberg sparking a wave of gang violence.
“We had never seen a takeover like that before. The information was that the Fancy Boys had good quality drugs and initially they were the Stupa Boys here, a very small grouping. Now with the help of the Clever Kidz, they had mass takeovers and in some areas you don’t even see Americans or HLs anymore.”
Zama says the slashing of police resources, which saw a reduction of more than 100 staff members, added to the pressure he faced and he says SAPS bosses need to do more to resource gangland stations.
“They say Manenberg is a gang station but it is not if you look at the resources.’
He says the introduction of the Anti-Gang Unit nearly “killed the station” as resources were promptly taken away.
“That AGU nearly killed us. Overnight they took eight of our best detectives away from the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit. That Unit was known for tackling complex cases under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and overnight it was gone and we had to start fresh. My advice to the SAPS management is that if you see something is working, leave it alone.”
Zama says he is eager to get some rest as he retires and to play a more active role in his church.
“I am going back home to my family and may even join the MK Party,” he jokes.