"My son's life was never, never ever the same again, she said. In 2018, Jacobs said, gangsters tried to kill Zunadin. She went to the police. But just two months later her son was dead too. Jacobs is now raising her 12-year-old grandson Noah, whose father was another casualty of gang violence."
"After the man who allegedly killed her son was himself killed by a rival gang, Jacobs refused to celebrate: I said to myself, He is also somebody's child.' She focused on running home gardening workshops and football training for children, leading the local chapter of Balls Not Guns, a collective of Cape Flats women's volunteer groups that promotes participation in sport."
"I always remember light, light, light in this darkness, she said. Because if there's nobody that is trying to light, what is going to happen with our youth? Last year, there were more than 1,037 gang-related murders in the wider Western Cape province, according to police data."
The Cape Flats townships in South Africa, established during apartheid to forcibly relocate Black, Coloured, and Indian residents, remain plagued by gang violence that devastates families across generations. Lindy Jacobs lost her cousin, witnessed her son's trauma from a shooting, and later lost her son to gang violence. Despite these tragedies, she refuses to perpetuate cycles of revenge and instead dedicates herself to community work through Balls Not Guns, organizing sports and gardening programs for youth. Gang splintering has intensified territorial conflicts over drug sales and extortion, resulting in over 1,037 gang-related murders in the Western Cape province last year. Community members like Jacobs represent resilience, choosing to bring light and opportunity to youth rather than succumb to despair.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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