Crime Syndicate

So my mother calls me to 'have' a talk, which normaly I hate doing, but I settle down, sit on the couch and wait for her to lower the television volume and start, talking. Well these talks are normally, her talking and me nodding my heard, but this time, it wasn't about 'life' it was about a 'crime syndicate' operating in Alexandra.

Normaly, when somebody talks about crime in Alexandra Township, it always appears as 'tautology'. Most people believe crime in Alexandra is inherent in the existance of this township, synonymous. Honestly, the rumour is well founded, but not always true.

You know that common phrase, 'don't shit where you eat.' It is true, not because you would want a second meal, but if you were to commit a crime in Alexandra, especially theft, who the hell are you going to sell it too, because everybody would know it belongs to that guy and not you? Plus after you have 'stolen' the goods, you will need to market them so as to sell 'em, then you get caught, because word on the street would be, a certain car, tv, radio was stolen.

This of course is not always true, my car, got broken into a while back, whilst I living in Alexandra, so I moved to Killarney (uptown), irony is, my car got stolen in Killarney.

Anyway, so mother tells me of this crew of boys, she assumes they are not South African nor are they from Alexandra Township. Which sorta makes sense, because these boys, nobody knows, even the 'known' thugs in the hood don't know them. In fact they had a gun battle, about four streets away from my house, I remember I heard guns shot a few nights ago.

So these boys' modus operandi, is 'houza-houza' (house break-ins), but they do thier crime at the crack of dawn, say like 4-5 am in the morning. There is a band of old men that patrol the 'neighbourhood' every night, problem is, when the partrol goes east, the band of boys goes west, by the time they come back, damage done.

So, the local ANC group has come up with a strategy, to setup a 'localised' security company, composed of those old-men that patrol. They are not keen on hiring an outside security company, why? Because most security companies employ a lot of foreigners, and in my mothers words, 'Makwere-kwere batla go utswetsa swikiri' (foreigners of african decent, will even steal your 'sugar').

So, I am on the look out. I have to sleep early so I can be awake/sleep during the 'prime time affirmative shopping'.

Aluta.