A Hanover Park mother is hopeful that beefed-up policing in the area could see her son, a former member of the Americans gang, return home.
The mother, who refused to be named to protect her son, said she feared there was a hit out on her son, and that he would be killed by his own gang if he came home.
“It’s terrible the way they carry on here. Sometimes they have shootouts the whole week. Our kids are not safe here and you fear for their lives.
“My son is too scared to come home and as a mother that’s all I want.”
The woman, who lives in a block of flats close to the taxi rank where 23-year-old Ashraf Booysen, a taxi guard, was gunned down on Tuesday, was speaking after an anti-crime operation in the area on Thursday morning, which saw a 200-strong police contingent raid 20 houses identified as possible havens for criminal activities.
Booysen’s murder was the second in three days.
Last Sunday Elton John Williams, 30, believed to be a member of the Americans gang, died after being shott, allegedly by two members of rival gang the Mongrels.
Since last month the area has seen a spike in gang-related shootings, prompting police to step up patrols.
Yesterday’s operation took in members of law enforcement, the metro police, SAPS, traffic police and local nurses.
Nyanga cluster commander Robbie Roberts said Hanover Park was only the first area targeted for operations. Others included Manenberg, Athlone and Philippi.
Starting at 7am, and following tip-offs from the community, police raided 20 homes.
“We started off with a ‘hard approach’ checking for drugs and firearms.”
He said vehicle control points were also set up after information revealed that drugs were being moved in the early mornings.
Eight people with various traffic violations were arrested at several roadblocks, and fines totalling R49 000 were issued.
Another three people were arrested, one for possession of dagga and two on outstanding warrants of arrest, while 68 traffic fines totalling R38 000 were also issued.
During May 108 arrests were made in the area for drug-related crimes and 19 unlicensed firearms confiscated.
Roberts said confiscating guns before they could be used meant they were preventing crimes.
In addition, “many times the weapon can be linked to another crime, or we can link the person with the weapon to another police problem”.
After 9am the operation switched over to the “soft approach”.
Visiting 40 flats, six groups conducted foot patrols door-to-door dishing out flyers to residents on crime prevention.
Roberts said the “softer” stance was in line with the vision of provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer.
“It’s not just about driving around in a van for eight hours. Visibility is to get out of the car, knock on doors and approach people – speak to the residents in the area.
“We are going to sustain this and ensure we will end violence with this approach.”
He said they also intended joining forces with the education department to tackle school violence.
Resident Alawayah Abdurahman, 43, welcomed the extra policing, but said it should not only be done after shootouts.
“It was nice to see them so visible, and I hope it will make the gangsters rethink that they should take heed of other people’s lives.”
After the police had been to her home, the fearful mother who longs for her son’s return said it was by time that police “took a hard stand” against gang violence.
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