Craig Lubbe is still haunted by the vision of a group of men firing seven shots into his body at close range.
|||Six months after he thought he would die, Craig Lubbe is still haunted by the vision of a group of men firing seven shots into his body at close range.
Lubbe, 37 is a resident in Lomond Court in Hanover Park, where a peace treaty has recently been made between bosses of the notorious Americans, Mongrels and Laughing Boys gangs.
In recent years, residents said they had been traumatised by the killing and wounding of innocent people, while children were being threatened if they did not want to join gangs.
Lubbe is one of them. He was shot seven times about six months ago. Once in the neck and several times in his stomach and legs.
On Tuesday, Community Safety MEC Dan Plato visited Hanover Park to ask residents whether the gangs were upholding the peace treaty.
Residents told him how young men and children were being targeted and tormented by gangs who wanted them to join.
Standing close to the spot here he was shot seven times, Lubbe spoke about how he and a few friends were playing a gambling game one night.
“This guys came to one of my friends and my friend ran away, so they just started shooting at us. I was hit seven times and I just thought I was going to die. It’s a miracle I’m alive because I lost two innocent friends who were killed that night right next to me,” Lubbe said.
He has been targeted numerous times for refusing to be part of a gang.
“I am not interested in that life. I don’t have a job but I won’t be a gangster. I am just grateful I am still alive. I talk to kids around here all the time to encourage them to stay away from gangs,” he said.
Lubbe was sitting outside just after midnight when he was shot. Now he is indoors after 8pm.
“Every time I walk in this court, I want to start crying because I get that vision of the four guys walking up to us,” Lubbe said.
On Tuesday, Plato said: “After receiving complaints about the Mongrels and Americans intimidating people to become part of gangs, we met with the gang leaders and it is clear that only small factions in the gangs do not want to adhere to the peace agreements. The situation is not dramatic here at the moment, but we need to… prevent anything from flaring up again,” Plato said.
He added that police and other officials from community safety would keep in touch with residents and gangs to ensure that peace remains in the area. Plato said that his department would also look at ways to occupy young people so that they were not vulnerable to gangs.
In the next few weeks, Plato said the Department of Economic Development would host career workshops in the area for unemployed youth.
The youth will be taught interviewing skills and how to write a curriculum vitae.
Plato said they would also look at asking employers to speak to the youth about possible job opportunities.
Ivan Waldeck, chairman of the Western Cape Community Outreach, told residents: “This is the third month into this peace agreement, and we will continue to work at this. One murder is one too many. We’ve had another murder in the new year, but we haven’t seen any retaliation or revenge. We must work together and we need your help.”
Peace agreements have been upheld in Lavender Hill and Elsies River, and the department will now work on initiating peace treaties in Bonteheuwel and Mitchells Plain. - Cape Times
zara.nicholson@inl.co.za