“They start from a primary school level now, that’s how bad it is”: Communities live in fear as gangs recruit younger and younger children

Residents of Toekomsrus in the West Rand are fearing for their lives as gangs in the area continue to wreak havoc. Residents say the turf war between the Umbrellas and Varados has led to some in the community being collateral damage. They say Toekomsrus has become the new Westbury as police struggle to deal with the crime. Gang violence has been highlighted on the international stage following comments made by South African billionaire Johann Rupert. This was during a meeting at the Oval Office in Washington in the US last week on Wednesday. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Toekomsrus community activist, Shida Abrahams and gang expert, the Former Western Cape Police Commissioner, Dr Lennit Max