Fearful residents say more than a dozen people have been shot and killed in recent months. Most, if not all, are linked to a drug turf war.
Long-time resident, Cynthia Hobbs, says the violence has escalated to the point where residents are afraid to leave their homes. Children play inside to avoid being killed in the crossfire. Former gang member, Ismail van Wyk, who is now a community activist, says that this year alone almost 20 youths were killed in the community.
“Over the past few years I would just say that things have turned around and just got worse due to the fact that unemployment and crime is affecting our youth from a couple of years ago until now the unemployment has pushed people to all sorts of violence and drug peddling and drug using and terrorising the community. This is due to the fact that our people don’t have jobs,” says Van Wyk.