Street gangs first appeared in South Africa during the apartheid regime in the 1950s, after the so-called “colored community” was relocated to racially designated sections. Many residents felt there was a limited police presence in their communities so they organized themselves into gangs who obtained payment for protecting others.

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The gangs’ primary source of income was drug running, prostitution trade and grand theft auto.It is estimated that there are over 100 gangs, comprising more than 100,000 members, currently operating in the Cape Peninsula. This is especially true in Cape Town ranked among the top 5 cities in the world by the number of gang related murders per year.

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