NO ONE TO TRUST

A 1993 victim survey of 1,100 households in Manenberg, Cape Flats, reveals a community struggling with entrenched gangsterism, open drug markets, and a profound lack of trust in the police. Despite a stable, older, and religious population, the area suffers from severe residential overcrowding and social exclusion, with a significant portion of the community feeling the country was better managed under apartheid.

• The Manenberg community exhibits a severe lack of confidence in the police, with 63% believing the police are doing a poor job, a figure significantly higher than the national average of 45%. Residents cited corruption (42%), lack of resources (48%), laziness (20%), and a failure to enter the area (24%) as primary reasons. Furthermore, 41% of respondents believe police take protection money from gangsters, and 82% doubt the police's ability to protect witnesses in murder trials.
• Gangsterism is deeply embedded in the community, with an estimated 30% of males aged 10 to 30 involved in gangs. The 'Americans' were the most frequently mentioned gang (57% of mentions), followed by 'Hard Livings Kids' (29%). Entry into gangs typically occurs at the onset of adolescence, with 87% of respondents stating the youngest gang member they knew was under 14.
• Drug markets in Manenberg are described as 'open' due to lax enforcement, with public knowledge of drug availability exceeding that of known drug hubs like Hillbrow and central Johannesburg. Among respondents under 24, 57% knew where to buy cannabis and 46% knew where to buy Mandrax.
• Severe residential overcrowding is a pivotal issue, with an average household size of six people, often living in two (45%) or three (40%) bedroom homes. This is attributed to high rentals in Cape Town preventing adult children from leaving the family home. This overcrowding, combined with population stability and a lack of mobility (only 39% of households own a vehicle), is suggested to fuel gangsterism.
• There is a strong history and continuing support for vigilantism as an alternative to policing. 34% of respondents admitted to supporting the organization People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) at one time, and 29% stated they would support a new movement that used violent means to drive gangsters from the area.
• The community expresses a high sense of social exclusion and political alienation. 53% of respondents believe the apartheid government ran the country better than the current democratic government, and 71% feel that affirmative action is applied improperly to the detriment of the coloured community.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2004). NO ONE TO TRUST. https://issafrica.org/01-sep-2004-sacq-no-9/no-one-to-trust

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. NO ONE TO TRUST. 2004. https://issafrica.org/01-sep-2004-sacq-no-9/no-one-to-trust.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=NO ONE TO TRUST |date=1 September 2004 |url=https://issafrica.org/01-sep-2004-sacq-no-9/no-one-to-trust |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2004one, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{NO ONE TO TRUST}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2004}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.org/01-sep-2004-sacq-no-9/no-one-to-trust}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }