In the shadow of near-daily shootings and gang violence that have plagued the Cape Flats, grassroots organizations are mounting a steadfast effort to empower the community’s youth and provide them with safe alternatives.
The urgency of their mission has been tragically underscored by recent events, including the fatal shooting of a three-month-old baby in Bonteheuwel and the killing of two young people in Westbank, near Delft. The organization “Balls Not Guns” has described the ongoing violence as critical, yet remains committed to its work on the front lines.
On a Friday afternoon in Westbank, the dire reality of an community besieged by gun violence, gangsterism, and drug abuse is temporarily set aside. On a local soccer pitch, children of all ages gather for an hour or two of respite, participating in the Balls Not Guns project.
The initiative offers a range of alternative experiences, including ball games, dance and mime programs, as well as photography and arts and culture initiatives.
“Whether we will achieve it is a different question,” said a representative from the organization. “But what is of utmost importance to us is to be able to constantly remind the kids that no matter who and what your personal situation is, there is always bigger. There is always better.”
The young people involved in the program speak of the constant fear that defines their daily lives. They feel scared to even walk to school, never knowing when the next shot will ring out or if they will become collateral damage.
“We that grow up in Westbank, the stuff you experience here is shooting every day, boys standing on the corners… smoking drugs and cigarettes and stuff. That’s something for me that I don’t want to do in life,” said one youth, who aspires to be a tourism photographer and travel the world.
Another participant emphasized the group’s mission: “We don’t use guns. We don’t run up and down in the streets and shoot people… We still play with balls because we kids and we want to show the people in the community we can do it. We want to make the community a better place.”
The pain of the community’s loss is embodied by a mother who lost her 15-year-old son to gun violence after he witnessed the fatal shooting of his cousin. She now works to ensure other children can live to their full potential.
Despite severe funding challenges, the group strives to arrange activities. The need for their work has never been more acute.
“On this very moment, Westbank is dark and Westbank is a red zone. Gangsterism. Shootings. Just last week, we buried two of our young children that was shot,” the representative said, referencing the roughly 270 murders on the Cape Flats that included the three-month-old baby. “It’s a red zone. It’s darkness. And we as Balls Not Guns will want to come in where we can just tell our youth that there is light in the darkness.”
Facing immense challenges, the organization vows to keep the ball rolling in its plight to steer young people away from the dangers of gangsterism and toward a brighter future.
