A gang war has broken out in Ottery over turf and will most likely spill into neighbouring communities.
This is according to insiders with knowledge of what is behind a bloody five days which saw six people shot and four killed. Mom Monique Cottle and matriculant Tamika Solomons were among the dead and were killed in separate shootings.
An insider said the fight is for control between warring gangs all vying for domination.
“The Mongrels, 6Bobs, Fancy Boys and Yuru Cats are spread over the Grassy Park area of Lotus River, Ottery, Parkwood and New Horizons.
“So when turf war breaks out it’s usually because one gang wants to sell drugs on another gang’s territory and because there is no Mongrel leader in the Ottery block of flats, the 6Bobs are trying to gain control,” he said.
Last week police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said three men, belonging to the Yuru Cats were arrested on charges of attempted murder after a known member of the Mongrels was shot and wounded.
A source said a member of the 28s gang was calling the shots in the block of flats in Ottery.
“They control it with money, the selling of drugs and that is what the other gangs want to do, they want to infiltrate to sell there.
“Later, we’ll probably see gangs who border on the neighbouring areas also joining in because it’s all about the money and who has control.”
On Wednesday night police responded to a shooting on the corner of Jan Smuts Drive and Turfhall Road in Lansdowne where a car was ambushed. The 23-year-old driver was shot and killed, leaving a one-year-old and a 25-year-old woman passenger injured.
Another source claimed known drug addicts were being used as guns for hire.
“This is also why community members are so afraid to speak out even though the gangsters are known to them because is it really worth risking your life just to be killed for a packet of tik?
“This is a blood for blood war … with the help from the authorities, things can get done like peace talks and more positive arrests.”
Police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut told Weekend Argus additional Anti Gang Unit officers and other police units would remain in the area until stability had been restored.
“We make an urgent appeal to the community to come forward with information that can assist us with our investigations and interventions so that we can create an environment where the community is protected from gangsterism,” he said.
Traut said a 38-year-old had been arrested in connection with the murder of a 33-year-old man on Tuesday morning. This comes after a joint operation in the area.
“An investigation led the operation to a residence where four suspects were arrested and brought in for questioning. Interrogation of the suspects resulted in the detention of a 38-year-old male for the murder.
“The other three were released as they could not be positively linked to the crime.
“The suspect is due to make his court appearance in Wynberg once he has been charged,” he added.
The former acting MEC for Community Safety and Police Oversight, Anroux Marais, said Grassy Park ward councillor Donovan Nelson was in the process of acquiring additional deployment of law enforcement.
“Councillor Nelson has informed that the SAPS is visible but under-resourced at the moment and I have as a matter of urgency raised this with the SAPS provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General (Thembisile) Patekile, to address resourcing shortages and to offer the support of the Western Cape Department of Community Safety.
“We need to ensure that the SAPS protect our citizens and if this does not happen, we need to hold SAPS accountable. This we can do with our oversight mandate and through our Court Watching Briefs to track cases of this nature, to ensure that the SAPS applies the due diligence needed to prosecute perpetrators in this regard.”
Marais said while operational solutions may not bring a permanent change, they acknowledge the need to mobilise communities through Neighbourhood Watches, Community Policing Forums and other community structures to take a stand against criminality.
On Thursday, some disgruntled residents took their grievances with police to the steps of the Grassy Park police station, calling for its station commander, Colonel Dawood Laing, to step down. The group handed over a memorandum of demands to Nyanga Cluster Commander Major-General Sizakhele Dyantyi.
Traut said: “The protest was initiated by the community’s concern regarding crime levels in the area, and supposed corruption at the station.”
He said SAPS management had taken note of the concerns raised and would address them.