Streets of fear and terror

AS the family of Aniclito Jenniker mourns and plans his funeral, Helenvale residents go about their lives refusing to co-operate with police combating gangsterism in the area. Aniclito, 13, the latest victim of gang violence, was hit in the head by a stray bullet in Ibek Street, Helenvale, on Wednesday night. His death came on the same day The Herald featured an article highlighting gang violence in the Helenvale area. Gelvandale police officers invited The Herald to accompany them yesterday as they visited each house in the notorious street where shooting and gang fighting is the order of the day.

“The people of Helenvale simply do not want to assist us. It is very difficult for us to put an end to these gangs without the co-operation of the community,” said Captain Johan Rheeder.

Rheeder and Inspector Alwin Labans said a 20-year-old man had been arrested for Aniclito‘s murder. They said the man had admitted to having a gun and to firing some warning shots into the air in Ibek Street at about 6.30pm on Wednesday.

Police said that after his arrest the man, who cannot be named until he appears in court, had shown no remorse and had been unapologetic about what he had done. He said he had simply found the gun and was using it for protection.

“He said he had fired some shots into the air to prove to everyone that he was macho. Many of them do that to try to prove that they should not be messed with,” said Labans.

Frustrated Gelvandale police officers said these gangs had become a daily battle for them. They said they had no way of helping a community that did not want to help the police.

“The children of Helenvale have started to look up to these gangsters as if they are heroes. Some gangsters opened fire on the police one night. The police shot back and wounded one of them in the leg. The people treated him like a hero for getting shot,” said Director Ernie Neveling.

He said some Helenvale residents had stoned three police vehicles and an ambulance, severely damaging the vans. He said some residents covered up for the gangsters, while others were too scared to speak about them for fear of being killed.

The people of Ibek Street all confirmed that they were living in fear, and they were sorry for the loss of Aniclito, but said they did not know anything about the incident.

One said there was shooting in the street daily. He had become used to it. Another resident‘s door and wall were riddled with bullet holes.

“Today we are going from house to house. They will not come to us, so we will go to them. We will go to everyone in that street and speak to them in their homes so that if someone wants to speak out, no one will know who did it,” Neveling said. He said the police in Gelvandale needed help not only from the community, but also from political parties and church leaders.

The situation had reached critical levels and it was impossible for the police to handle it on their own.

“As far as these gangs are concerned, the police‘s hands are tied.

“Things seem to have calmed down in Schauderville, where the two major gangs in that area, the Fat Cats and the Ah Shenes, have made some kind of peace agreement.

“In Schauderville we have also had massive successes with 11 arrests, seven of them for attempted murder and two for murder.”

Sometimes, he said gang members came forward with evidence about other gangs, but occasionally when they made peace agreements they withdrew their statements and refused to testify against each other.

“This is extremely frustrating for us. We have genuine cases against these gangs, but then they withdraw the complaint.”

For some residents, Neveling said, gangsterism had become a way of life.

The Jenniker family said they were all in shock. Aniclito‘s grandmother, Marian, said she was now too terrified to send her other grandchildren to school because she feared for their lives

“He was a cheerful boy who was always playing. He was a good child,” she said of Aniclito, who was a Grade 6 pupil at Helenvale Primary School.

She said he had cleaned his aunt‘s yard for her earlier that day without hesitation.

Her sister, Cornelia Campher, also of Ibek Street, said: “All the children here are under 10. How can we send them to school after this has happened? They are all still in shock.”

An emotional Campher blamed the parents of the gangsters for protecting them. “Their parents are covering up for them and pretending they do not know what their children are doing. Then it is our children who are being killed,” said Campher.

Aniclito had been sitting on the pavement in Ibek Street, just metres from his house, waiting with two school friends for their father to pick them up, when he was shot. Aniclito‘s mother Carika and one of his friends are still in shock following his death.

Jenniker said: “They should pick up every man in Helenvale who doesn‘t work and send them to the army. There they can shoot all they like.”