Alex Masi

Elisabeth, 62, a woman living in the area of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA, since about 40 years is scared to go out even during the day because of street gun-fight. She runs a little vegetable shop with her husband, Thomas, 64, in their house. She is portrayed while behind the gate of her house in Heideveld. They acknowledge the fact that thanks to the large police station not far from their house thing are slowly getting better, but also that law enforcement is probably not the right long-term way to curb crime, gangs and drug addiction. They favour development and education for the kids but till now the government of South Africa has promoted a effectual policy towards the area of Heideveld. Police incapacity to control the gang problem has also led to the increase of vigilante groups activity, people that feeling threatened to live in their own community has engaged a fight to the gangs on their own, often creating more hatred and dissent. With extremely high rates of unemployment, poor resources and too little authority control, ghettos as Heideveld are the best places for gangs to grow in activity and businesses. Targeting mostly young people from their area to carry on the 'dirty job', gangs in the Western Cape, and South Africa are an endemic problem in continuous increase in the years after the radical apartheid governmental system. 'Coloured' communities have lost almost all their help from a government that now is concentrated on empowering black communities instead. Segregated into ghettos and without state grants or development activities, people in these community are sometimes forced to join a gang or dealing drugs also to provide for their own family.