I attach below a small note on Gangsterism and hope it would help you.

Gangsterism is an age-old problem that has affected families as well as whole communities. Entire towns
and cities have, at one stage or another, had to deal with the scourge that is gangsterism. Innocent men,
women and children have knowingly and unknowingly become entangled with gangsters. Most have
suffered dearly as a result. Many still bear the scars of their involvement; both physical and emotional
scars. Countless others have lost their lives, usually in a savage manner and sometimes for something of
little or no significance. Those that have tried to get out, have either been hunted and killed, or are now
fugitives, living in fear of being found by their fellow gang members.

Over the years, gangsterism evolved, changing with the times, with new gangs springing up, changing or
disintegrating. Their modus operandi also evolved with time. Most of the old terminology retained its
nineteenth century significance, although much of it became distorted or started to mean something
different altogether. Gangs also became more dangerous and violent. Whole communities or sections of
towns or cities lived in fear of gangsters. Disruptions and intimidation became more prevalent. Gangs
gained more and more power in communities, and they began spreading. The forced removals of
Coloureds from District Six in 1966, helped disperse gangsterism throughout the Cape Flats.

In essence, there are two types of gangs street gangs and organised gangs. Street gangs are usually
smaller, of lesser significance and less problematic. These are usually youngsters, who congregate on
street corners, smoke dagga, drink and intimidate passers-by. They resort to robbing and stealing to
support their drug and alcohol habits. Larger gangs normally keep these youngsters in check, offering
them jobs like selling drugs in their neighbourhoods. It is these larger gangs, on the other hand, that
are more problematic.
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The gangs operate like well-organised institutions. They consist of lower and upper structures governed
by strict codes of conduct and gang rules. Breaking any of the rules, or the code of conduct, could mean
death. Many who have tried have paid with their lives.

Gangs control large areas, usually communities or parts of cities and towns. These areas are known as
turfs. Each gang normally has their own turf, which they guard with their lives from other gangs. Here
they manipulate their illicit activities, which include prostitution, drug dealing and shebeens.

Many young girls are coerced or forced into prostitution by gangs, who sometimes drag them from their
homes in full view of their helpless families. The girls end up being raped by many gang members, and
then forced to sell their bodies on the streets. Whatever money they receive goes to the gang. They either
get a pittance for their efforts, or are fed drugs to blur their tragic reality. Getting out is then almost
impossible, as they fear the gang may kill them or members of their families.


Property owners and some store owners must pay protection fees to the local gang. If not, the gang
would make it very difficult for them, using intimidation tactics and threats. Many of these have been
carried out, resulting in either loss of property or death.

Despite this, many communities have become dependent on the illegal and sometimes dangerous
activities of gangsters. Money-laundering is big business for any gang. That is why controlling and
protecting large turfs are so important. People who may never obtain loans elsewhere, are afforded loans
by large gangs. In return, the gangsters get paid interest on the loans they hand out. On the other hand,
communities would not readily expose their saviours either out of fear, or because they would have
nowhere to go to obtain their monthly loans. They see the gang as providing a much-needed service.
Most people in gang-ridden communities are either unemployed, or make so little money, they are forced
to turn to the gangsters for help. On the other extreme, non-payment of an account held with gangsters
could result in tragic consequences.

Most people are roped into gangsterism at an early age, from the ages of ten to sixteen years. Their
leaders would be between thirty and fifty years of age. Because of the poverty-stricken environments they
come from, many males are drawn into the gang arena by the attraction of money, power and glamour
with which they associate gangsterism. They dream of the flashy cars, massive gold jewellery, immense
amounts of money, and the power to control a whole town as their ultimate goal. In reality, however, it is
far from being what they thought it would be. Yet, as youngsters, they do not see further than their own
ignorance. From the moment they join a gang, their lives become an orgy of murders, robberies, rapes
and drunkenness that they would sometimes not understand or have wanted.

Sub-economic areas, where gangsterism is the most prevalent and problematic, are good training
grounds for would-be gangsters. In most instances, both parents are either unemployed or both are
working, leaving their children unattended or with strangers. Gangs quickly exploit such situations. In fact,
they thrive on it, offering youngsters a surrogate family setup which gives the youngsters a sense of
belonging. In most cases, youths are used to commit the crimes - such as murder, rape, etc effectively
obscuring the leadership from being identified. Often, the order to commit a crime is filtered thorugh the
ranks of a gang. Thus, the person committing the crime never knows who gave the order. The police,
therefore, are never able to get hold of the leadership.

Smaller gangs, usually made up of youngsters, are also normally swallowed up by larger, more prominent
gangs who then use the youngsters to commit the crimes for them. This is evident in the number of
youngsters being arrested for murder and possession of illegal firearms. It must also be noted that there
are females in gangs as well. Girls on drugs, or those prostituting for gangs sometimes class themselves
as gang members. They may form their own gang, which is regarded as an affiliate of the main, male-
dominated gang. Females never attain any status of importance within any of the large gangs. They are
usually used by gang leaders to do jobs men would otherwise find more difficult, like smuggling drugs or
coercing prostitutes into the gangs prostitution ring. It is rare for a female to get involved in a gang fight
between male gangs.

Some areas in metropolises and cities areidentified as gang hotspots It is within these areas that gangs
have the most influence. It is also here where youngsters are taught their first steps into the world of the
gang. Because of the violence caused by fighting between gangs, many innocent people including
women and children - get caught in the crossfire. Many have been maimed for life. Countless others have
lost their lives. Recent newspaper reports attest to that.

The extent of the problem is so far-reaching that nobody not the police or government can say when
gangsterism would be addressed in its finality. Many are still unconvinced that increasing police force
members would stop or reduce gang activities, Self-defence of individuals and communities is the
only way to fight gangsterism. The police and government have thus far failed. Many innocent people are
losing their lives while the police concentrate on disarming rather than arming the people. If people in
gang-ridden areas were taught to arm themselves and take a stand against the thugs that traumatise
them daily, the gangsters would have the tables turned on them. The truth is, gangsters prefer unarmed
victims and like all criminals, gangsters fear armed citizens.