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Woensdag, 4 Maart 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | e-pos: nuus@tygerburger.co.za
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A look behind the scenes Lucky Mloteli is painstakingly converting a rather colourful neck piece to a monochrome colour scheme using nail polish. The jewellery will form part of costumes for the upcoming Cape Town Carnival. Several others are also hard at work in an effort to put together the costumes, floats and props at their Maitland Workshop that will highlight this year’s theme. PHOTO: SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS
GANGSTERISM: TACKLING THE SCOURGE ON THE FLATS
Breaking the cycle SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS @samantha_lee121
“T
o become men, black men go to the bush, white men went to the army and coloured men go to prison.” This was the very worrying statement relayed to provincial minister for community safety, Albert Fritz on a visit to local prisons. The aim of the visit was to interact with prisoners who would be able to assist the department in reformative programmes for at
risk youth to ensure they did not follow a life of gangsterism and crime. “I was very worried about this statement because something must be done to change this mindset,” says Fritz. While gangsterism exists all over the world and throughout the broader South Africa, it has become synonymous with the Cape Flats where poverty, crime and gangsterism is rife. Here, police say children as young as six are involved and drawn into gang culture.
Chezron Fouten from Tafelsig is now reformed, having left gangsterism behind while serving a 10-year prison sentence for murder and gun possession. Before he hit puberty, he had already washed the blood of countless people from his hands, having been convicted at only 10 years old. “I was involved in gangsterism for 17 years, I started when I was seven years old. At that time I didn’t get the love I wanted from my mother and I did not grow up with
a father. It was then that I started looking for friends and the friends I became involved with were gangsters. That is where it all started,” says Fouten. “I was a hitman for the gang and I was good. I took out some of the top guys. “The murder I was convicted of was the only one they caught me for. I was sentenced to 10 years in prison for murder and gun possession and when I was inside, I became a member of the 28s gang.” V To page 7