Chapter One

One would think that in the year 2004, 10 years into democracy, black South Africans would band together and not turn on each other. This wasn’t the case. Not in Soweto where racial feuds were replaced by tribal feuds and resulted in the spread of gangsterism. 10 years after the Afrikaner police had stopped roaming the streets of Soweto, gang members took over – claiming territory and terrorising all opposition. Pimville was governed by two gangs – the Sotho gang also known as the 88s, who were in charge of a quarter of the territory, and the Zulu gang known as the 76s, in charge of three-quarters of Pimville territory. The 88s were led by Thabang, a 19-year-old who took over leadership when his brother went to prison two years ago. People have complained that gang violence has increased significantly since Thabang came into power, but never to his face. Never loud or often enough for him to hear what they thought of him. They feared him. Who wouldn’t fear a person who stuck a knife in his own father’s eye just because he was angry? Thabang was dangerous and impulsive. Didn’t think twice about his actions, didn’t consider how they impacted on others. His brother had been the same but Thabang was ten times worse. The entire 88 gang revolved around him and his mood. And now, he was in the mood for more territory. He didn’t like the fact that the 76s had more territory than they did and he wanted to be the hero of the 88s, the one who got them the land. The power. The access. Territory was very important to these gangs. More territory meant more tax. Civilians had to pay tax to the gangs for protection. If you lived on 76 territory – which most people in Pimville did – you had to pay for your protection because if you didn’t and something happened to you, they would turn a blind eye. But if you did and a stray dog so much as barked at you, they would be there to defend you – to protect you. The same applied for those who lived on 88 territory. Despite the gang violence, people lived freely if they had paid for their protection. Not even the cops could stop you if you were protected. The cops feared the gangs, despite the fact that most of the gang members were teenagers. Only a few of them were over 18 and even less were over 20. All those over 25, the original founders of these gangs, were either dead or in jail. The young ones ran the show now and the young ones tended to be wild. However, the 76 were more peaceful than the 88. Their leader was Menzi who took over, as according to the 76 succession hierarchy, when their previous leader, Themba died. Themba had made a career of gangsterism. He had made so much money that he built the biggest house on their street and then one in every different section of their territory so they could have ‘branches’ and a ‘head office’. The head office was where he lived and now, where Menzi lived. And Menzi lived with Themba’s 17-year-old brother, S’fiso, among other members of the 76 who didn’t live in the other zones. Menzi was a good leader, putting the needs of the people first and violence was his last resort. S’fiso, although he was young, was highly respected in the gang because of his brother and because of his proven loyalty. When Themba died, many people thought S’fiso would take over. But the 76 believed in protocol. There was a hierarchy and there was order because of it. The 76 gang was not a family business that could be inherited. All of the members understood this and they all knew that they wanted the same thing – a peaceful Pimville. So, they worked well together. They even had schedules to ensure that everyone in their territory was protected at all times. The 88 often picked fights, robbed old ladies, just to rile the 76 up. To get them to react. And they often did. But the 88 never succeeded in conquering the 76 and taking over their territory, but they were willing to do whatever it takes.

“Here’s the tax for the month.” A girl named Dineo said to Menzi one afternoon, handing him an envelope. Menzi had been sitting on the front lawn of the 76 headquarters, washing his Converse sneakers. He looked at her and smiled.

“R600?” he asked.

“Yep.” She said, placing the envelope under a rock near Menzi’s feet. He wasn’t going to take it, his hands were wet.

“I saw your mom leave.” He said to her just as she was about to leave. “I thought you left with her, she had luggage.”

Dineo turned around to face him again.

“Yes, it’s work.” She said. Dineo’s mother travelled often. She worked as a flight attendant and only worked international flights because they paid better and, as her supervisor had said, she had the looks for it. Dineo’s mother hadn’t appreciated that comment, feeling objectified by her supervisor, but she knew that they needed the money. Especially since monthly protection tax for the two of them had amounted to R600 on top of all of their other monthly expenses. And they only had one source of income. So she’d be gone for two weeks at a time, sometimes even a month or more.

“Oh, I didn’t see your aunt arrive. Is she coming later?” Menzi asked. Dineo’s aunt would come look after her every time her mother went away. Protection or not, it wasn’t wise to leave a young girl unsupervised.

“She’s not coming.” She said and Menzi dropped his shoe in the bucket, creating a minor splash.

“You’re living alone?” he asked and she nodded, telling him that she was a big girl. “Well, you have my number if you need me to come over… to take care of you.” He laughed and she rolled her eyes. Menzi was a flirt, as were all of the guys in gangs. This was partially because girls liked the idea of dating a gang member. It meant that they were the most protected people in the township but they didn’t have to pay for protection. They became honorary gang members.

“I can take care of myself, thank you.” Dineo said. Dineo was an innocent girl and, honestly, she had only just blossomed. At the age of 16, she had only just stopped looking like she was 10 years old – flat-chested without a curve in sight. Now jeans accentuated her curves and her butt and her t-shirt seemed to be slightly stretched at the chest. These are things that Menzi noticed, of course, and this was what warranted his comments.

“Oh, come on Dineo, nobody likes a soloist.” He said.

“Okay, that’s enough.” S’fiso said from the front door, giving Menzi a stern look. His eyes then shifted to Dineo, lingering on her chest – but she wouldn’t notice that because she’s short. “Sho, Dineo.” He said, pointing towards the gate with his head. She knew what this meant. It meant she had to leave before Menzi could put his foot further into his mouth, or worse, before she could fall for his charms.

“Sharp.” Dineo said, heading out. Dineo only lived across the street from the 76 headquarters and S’fiso kept his eyes on her until she was safely in the yard, gate closed behind her. She was afraid of him. He had a dark look in his eyes and danger seemed to ooze from his pores. He was mysterious, the dark horse of the 76. Some of the 76 were friendly, even spoke to Dineo casually at school and in the street. She knew better than to get too close to any of them, emotionally I mean, but they were still more human than S’fiso. S’fiso was surreal. Every interaction she had had with him seemed like a dream. She couldn’t believe he was speaking to her. And his voice often lingered in her head. She didn’t think she had a crush on him, she thought it was because she feared him so much. He was a manifestation of the stuff her nightmares were made of… yet, she didn’t want to wake up.

“Stop hitting on Dineo, she’s a child.” S’fiso said to Menzi.

“She has grown, S’fiso. And you need to grow up, too, grow a pair and make your move. I might just beat you to it.” Menzi said, continuing with his shoe washing. S’fiso felt irritated by Menzi’s comment.

“You stay away from her. She’s a child.” He said angrily. Menzi gave him a confused look.

“You’re only one year older than her. Go make your move.” Menzi said and S’fiso took a deep breath to calm himself down.

“No. I’m just looking out for her. That’s what we do; we look after our own.” S’fiso said, leaving Menzi on the lawn and heading back inside the house. S’fiso had had a crush on Dineo since before she started looking like a grown-up. He just wouldn’t let himself near her in that way. He felt that she was out of his league, too good for him. Dineo was a good girl, he convinced himself, who deserved nice things. Not violence and danger and complication. He wanted to protect her from gangs, not increase her affiliation. He knew she would be done with school in a couple of years and she’d probably get into university in another province and find a job and marry a doctor or something. Live a good life. His life was the 76 and he couldn’t be so selfish as to ruin her future all because she was constantly on his mind. But he knew that he had to work harder at protecting her now that she was living alone and also because she had grown up to be so gorgeous and he wished he could just cover her up like a mummy and keep her away from all of these boys. If Menzi – who liked older women with large breasts and too much make-up – was starting to notice Dineo in a perverted way, S’fiso knew that the other guys had noticed her too. And that they’d all be competing for her. Placing bets on who would get to sleep with her first. Or even make her laugh because she was that tough. Dineo hardly smiled at any of the boys, even the ones she spoke to often. Her vulnerability was his responsibility, he thought, especially now.

*****

Monday morning, Dineo walked to school alone. She wore the pleated school skirt for the first time since she started high school; her mother had told her to stop wearing pants and had decided not to buy her a new pair when her old pair suddenly became too tight. You know, because she grew up suddenly. As she approached the gate, she walked past the 76 gang’s black BMW 325i convertible – Menzi was sitting in the driver’s seat. The gang’s car was always parked outside the high school every morning and every afternoon because the high school was located on 88 territory, zone 1. Dineo’s plan was to walk straight past the car and into the school yard like she did everyday, regardless of who was driving it.

“Dineo…” Menzi said, taking hold of her arm as she attempted to walk past him. She stopped walking and turned to face him. “You even make the uniform look sexy.”

She rolled her eyes and hardened her face, hoping she was making it clear to him that his advances were not welcome.

“I need you to stop with the comments. If other guys hear you saying things like that, they’ll think it’s okay for them to say things like that and I do not appreciate it.” she said sternly and he was taken aback by her harshness. Dineo was not one who spoke often and she never spoke harshly. But maybe it’s because she’s never had reason to, she’s always been Little Dineo who looks 10 years old. Nobody ever pestered her, they treated her the same way they treated the 10-year-olds. Menzi let go of her arm.

“You’re right, I’m sorry.” He said sincerely. She turned to walk away but he called after her. “Dineo… listen. My job is to protect you, I would never do anything to you, I promise.” He said and Dineo couldn’t believe just how sensitive he was being. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who had grown up of late. She walked into the school yard, feeling very self-conscious in a skirt, and eventually deciding to sit in an empty classroom waiting for the bell to ring or for her friends, Nokuthula and Atlegang, to locate her.

*****

Despite being 17, S’fiso didn’t go to school. He had dropped out immediately after his brother’s death. Menzi and the rest of the gang had tried to convince him to stay in school, secure a future for himself, but he refused. Secretly, they didn’t mind because he was such an asset to the gang and him having more free time was partially beneficial for them. He sat on his bed polishing his gun, waiting for Menzi and others on school duty to return for the day’s work to begin. They had a gig that evening but they needed the day to strategize and ensure that all members of the gang were on the same page. There could be no slip-ups during a gig. No identification, no finger-prints, no dead bodies – just a quick and clean heist. Tonight it was a bank and they had a guy on the inside who just so happened to be working the night shift that evening. The 76 gang worked with a lot of security companies – it was easier for a heist not to go wrong if they were properly connected. But they needed the ammo just in case, and also for ambience.

“I think I can see my reflection in that gun.” Menzi said as he propped himself on the bed next to S’fiso. “I saw your girl today, she was wearing a skirt.”

“I saw her when she left her house. And she’s not my girl.” S’fiso replied coldly. Of course, S’fiso had noticed Dineo’s new school skirt – he’d also noticed her new body and how great that new body had looked in that new skirt. He just didn’t want to think about it because that would make him no better than the other guys who were lusting after a child. Menzi and S’fiso got up to join the rest of the gang – minus those who were at school – in the living room. The living room had one two-seater couch – for Menzi (or whoever was the leader at the time) and S’fiso – as well as a bunch of chairs for everyone else. S’fiso always had a seat on the couch because his brother bought it. His brother owned the 76 headquarters and everything in it. Including the people.

“Gents, we can’t all go in tonight.” Menzi started off. “The 88s know we have a mission tonight so we need to make sure that our bases are covered. So there’ll be two people here, two at zone 3, two at zone 5, zone 6 and zone 7. Stay away from zone 1 and zone 4, don’t provoke the 88s.”

Some of the guys complained about Menzi’s decision because everyone wanted in on the action. There were 38 members of the 76 group, minus the two who were in school and minus Menzi and S’fiso – because they were always involved in the gigs. That left 34 gang members who all wanted in on the action. But minus the 10 who had to be on guard, that left only 24 slots open in the heist.

“Enough. We also need one of you to keep watch of Dineo’s house.” Menzi said, causing S’fiso to look at him in shock.

“Why?” one of the gang members asked. “We protect everyone in the neighbourhood, we’re not bodyguards.”

“Nobody said you’re a bodyguard. I think everybody knows that Dineo is living alone… and that she’s been attracting a lot of attention these days…” he trailed off as if the conversation was becoming more and more uncomfortable for him. He also pulled faces at the guys who started making comments about Dineo.

“Stop it. I put up a roster for tonight so that everybody knows where they’ll be. Any questions?” he asked.

“Can we finally shoot someone tonight?” another one asked.

“What for? We’re working with one of our guys. And just because you’re trigger-happy, you’re looking after Dineo tonight.” Menzi said, irritated out of his mind, and then got up and left the living room. Hey, nobody said all gang members were bright. They’re just efficient.

*****

Dineo was surprised that there was no black BMW outside the school at the end of the day. Maybe whoever was on duty was running late. Nokuthula and Atlegang had decided to go and watch the boys’ soccer match so she had to walk home alone. As she walked, minding her own business, a tall figure suddenly blocked her path.

“Can I help you, Thabang?” she asked him, trying not to look obvious as she checked around for a 76 to rescue her.

“Shit!” Thabang said as he circled around her, two of his gang members standing close enough to block Dineo’s path. She took several deep breaths. When he was finally facing her again, he twiddled the hem of her skirt between his fingers. “If I could just get locked up in a room with you…”

“Move it along, Thabang.” Dineo heard a voice coming from behind her. It was S’fiso. Oh, was he on school duty? Why was he late? She wanted to remind him that he was getting paid to protect her.

“Party of two, S’fiso. We’re at capacity.” Thabang said, still fiddling with Dineo’s skirt, standing far too close for her liking.

“Thabang!” S’fiso snapped, pulling his gun out and putting it against Thabang’s forehead. “I said move it along.” He growled. Thabang looked too relax for someone who had a gun to his head. Dineo, on the other hand, was rattled. But she wouldn’t have been honest if she said it was because of the gun, everyone in Pimville was used to guns. Even if they had never used them. The gang violence had been so rife that gunshots were as familiar a sound as birds chirping. She was only frightened because S’fiso’s arm stretched over her head to reach Thabang’s forehead. She was in the middle of a possible gun fight. Thabang eventually backed away, still smirking.

“You won’t survive the next time you pull a gun on me on my territory.” Thabang said before spitting onto the ground. S’fiso tucked his gun away and headed toward the car, Dineo decided it would be best if she continued walking home, pretending none of this had happened.

“Get in the car, Dineo.” S’fiso said when he noticed she had started walking.

“Oh no, I’m fine. I’ll walk.” She said but he snapped again.

“Get in the car!” he screamed, everyone around them turned to see what was happening. It was far more interesting that S’fiso would be yelling at Dineo than it was that he would put a gun to Thabang’s head. That happened everyday, really. Dineo was embarrassed and irritated that she was being yelled at. She slowly got into the passenger seat of the convertible, put on her seatbelt and stared out the window. The drive back home wouldn’t be long, she thought to herself, so she would be away from this control freak soon. But she soon realised she was wrong when he got onto the main road and headed out of the township. Was this a kidnapping?

*****

Thabang sat on the front lawn of his home thinking about what had transpired. He didn’t know Dineo. He had seen her around the school a few times but he had never paid attention to her. He didn’t even know her name. But what he did know, or rather what he had just found out, was that S’fiso was overprotective of her. Him being too close to that girl struck a nerve in S’fiso. He liked that. He summoned Kabelo and Tshepo, two of the 88 gang members who attended that high school.

“Who is that girl?” he asked them.

“Which girl?” Kabelo asked. Kabelo was in grade 11 at the age of 22. There was never any hope for him academically, he just went to school to do Thabang’s bidding.

“The girl from your school. The one I was talking to before S’fiso interrupted me.” he said.

“Oh, Dineo. What about her?” Kabelo asked. Kabelo made it his business to know all of the girls around the school, just in case Thabang allowed him to proceed with his human trafficking syndicate. And also because he was a womaniser at heart.

“Is she dating S’fiso? Or one of the 76?” Thabang asked and the two boys laughed at him.

“Dating? Dineo? Dineo doesn’t even talk to people. Trust me, we’re in the same classes. She only talks to her two friends, Nokuthula and Atlegang.” Tshepo said.

“Yeah but maybe she’ll start talking to guys now that she has the body for it.” Kabelo said with a disgustingly perverted smile on his face.

“Still… it would probably be those quiet guys from school. Not a 76. Not any gang member. She’s too soft, too fragile.” Tshepo said. He wasn’t wrong. Dineo was very good at looking tough but it was obvious that she wasn’t actually tough. And to be the girlfriend of gangster required one to toughen up.

“Okay. So if she’s not his girlfriend, why did he get so worked up?” Thabang asked. It almost looked as if he was asking himself but out loud. The two guys looked at each other and shrugged.

“You know… protection. She lives on his territory.” Tshepo said and Thabang’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“You know where she lives?” he asked and Tshepo nodded his head. “Okay. I need you to keep an eye on her at school. We’ll revisit this conversation later.” He said, dismissing them. He already had a plan but he just needed some time to make sure it would be effective.

*****

Dineo had not asked S’fiso where he was taking her. He had scared her when he screamed at her and he drove the entire way with a hard look on his face. She did not want to give him more reason to be upset. He had taken her to the mall. When they arrived, he took R200 out of his wallet and handed it to her.

“Go buy school pants.” He said and she did not even think about objecting. She was in and out of the store with two pairs of grey trousers in less than 30 minutes. She thought S’fiso had waited for her in the car like he said he would but when she returned, he had an untouched McFlurry in the cupholder. She tried to give him his change but he told her to keep it.

“This is for you. I hope you like ice-cream.” He said, gesturing towards the cupholder.

“Why?” she asked.

“It’s an apology. For shouting at you earlier. It’s just that Thabang frustrates me.” he said and Dineo took the ice-cream. The rest of the drive was silent, neither knowing what to say to the other. For Dineo, it was because she was petrified of S’fiso as she was of all of the gang members. But for S’fiso, it was because he couldn’t believe he had technically just taken Dineo out on an ice-cream date. Sure, the ‘date’ aspect of it was one-sided , but that was just a technicality.

“Make sure you lock the doors.” He said to her when he dropped her off.

“Thanks for the ride… and the pants.” She said before heading inside. He watched her as she went inside the house and then he manoeuvred the car so he could park in his own yard across the road.

Later that evening, S’fiso stood near the car in the dark spot they had selected as their waiting area, smoking a cigarette. They had 5 minutes until the coast was clear, so their security guard friend had told them, and he needed something to warm him up. August evenings were just as cold as those in July and June and May. He looked at his phone. It was just after 8pm. He wanted to call the other guys and find out if Dineo was okay. He wanted them to go check if her gate was locked. He wanted them to see if anyone had been to her house and if she was safe and if she had eaten. He didn’t think he had seen her buy groceries. He didn’t think he had smelt any cooking before they left. He was concerned. Genuinely concerned.

“S’fiso. Get your head in the game. It’s go time!” Menzi said, pulling his balaclava over his face. S’fiso did the same, squashing his cigarette under his heel. The job was quick and easy. The security guard disabled the alarms and left the door unlocked. They broke into the cash island and stuffed as much of the money as they could into their duffle bags. In the meantime, their security guard friend was tied up and gagged, the alarm system was fried and a few shots were fired in the ground, the bullets picked up and stashed to avoid the gunshots being traced back to them. Once all six duffle bags were full and safely placed in the getaway cars – two Toyota Quantums – Menzi, being the fastest runner of them all, pressed the panic button and sprinted into one of the vehicles before they both sped off. The Quantums stopped at a designated open field where the money was loaded into the 76 cars – two black BMW 325i convertibles. The other guys drove off to the 76 headquarters while S’fiso and Menzi drove the Quantums further into the bush. They sprayed the interior and exterior of both vehicles with sanitiser and disinfectant, ridding them of all fingerprints and possible traces of DNA, and then stood at a reasonable distance before throwing lit petrol bombs at the vehicles and watching them explode and burn to smithereens. They walked to the nearest liquor store, which was about an hour away from the open field, and bought a case of beer and a bottle of whiskey. They had plenty to celebrate. Every successful heist was cause for celebration. They had left no trace of themselves and nobody was hurt in the process. One of the gang members picked them up from the bottle store once the money had been safely delivered to headquarters.

“How much is it?” Menzi asked Thulani when they arrived at the house. Thulani was one of the gang members who were still in school. He was also arguably the most intelligent member of the 76 gang. He was in charge of counting all of the profits and proceeds.

“R52 million and like R20 on the side, who took the coins?” Thulani said. “Anyway, 52 million divided by 39 is R1 333 333 each… give or take.” He said. Although there were 38 members, they always divided their proceeds by 39. The 39th share went into their savings. This is the money they used to purchase groceries, clothes, cars, ammunition. Whatever they needed as a collective. Their individual shares, on the other hand, were spent on personal needs. Toiletries, alcohol, cigarettes, weed, girls. Some of them sent money to their families. In fact, those members of the 76 who had family to take care of, had used some of their earnings to move their families out of Pimville. To nice, quiet suburbs where there wasn’t any gang violence. Menzi’s mother and sister lived in Fourways. He paid for his sister’s education and made sure they had everything they needed. It was easy for them to do these things because they never took up small gigs. If the proceeds were likely to be less than a R1 million, the gig wasn’t worth their effort. This way they ensured that they made enough to give each member a substantial amount of money at a time. After this bank robbery, they had roughly 26 and a half million in their savings.

“You know what this calls for gents?” Menzi said and the 76 gang all screamed in unison: “PARTY!”