Hard Livings

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Hard Livings
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg
The flag of the United Kingdom is often used as a symbol for the Hard Livings gang. This is in contrast to the American flag that the rival Americans gang uses.
Founded1971
Founding location Manenberg, Cape Town
Territory Cape Town
EthnicityPredominantly Cape Coloured and Xhosa
Membership6 000
Criminal activities Drug trafficking, weapon trafficking, prostitution, contract killing, extortion, illegal diamond smuggling, robbery, fraud, money laundering, human trafficking, kidnapping
Allies Nigerian mafia, Triads, Sicilian Mafia [1]
Rivals The Americans and other Cape Town gangs
A combination of a Hard Living and 28s gang tags in Manenberg, Cape Town. The Hard Livings is a Cape Town based street gang whilst the 28s are a South African prison gang. 28s HL gang tag.jpg
A combination of a Hard Living and 28s gang tags in Manenberg, Cape Town. The Hard Livings is a Cape Town based street gang whilst the 28s are a South African prison gang.

The Hard Livings gang is a large street gang and organized crime group based in Manenberg, Cape Town. [2] A number of other smaller gangs form part of the Hard Livings gang and owe allegiance to it. The Hard Livings used to be one of two 'super gangs' in Cape Town with the other one being The Americans. [3]

History

The gang was formed in 1971 by Rashied Staggie and his twin brother Rashaad. [4] [5] The gang started out as a criminal street gang mostly involved in drug distribution for which they competed with the Americans gang. After their distribution network grew, the Hard Livings gang as well as their rivals evolved into a structured criminal organization involved in a wide range of criminal activities. [1] [4] In 1996 Rashaad was publicly set alight and killed by the vigilante group PAGAD. [6] In December 2019, Rashied was shot and killed in the same street where Rashaad was killed. [7]

In the 1990s, Cape Flats, a township outside Cape Town historically associated with the Coloured population, was home to around 80 gangs. [8] The Hard Livings gang was the most prominent, led by a major drug figure who was later killed by the vigilante group People Against Gangsterism and Crime (PAGAD). [8] Following his death, drug prices increased, while overall crime reportedly declined. During this period in the 1990s and early 2000s the gang was known to have had a strong presence in the wealthy Green Point and Sea Point areas of Cape Town.

The gang is known to have been involved in both international and local organized crime. Their local activities range from drug running & trading, poaching, protection rackets, prostitution and shebeening (provision of unlicensed drinking places). They have associations with Westbury gang, Varador Cortet. [9] Internationally they have been known to have cooperated with the Sicilian mafia in the trafficking of illegal diamonds as well as trafficking cannabis to Europe. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Structural changes and growth in gang activities". www.iss.co.za. Archived from the original on 29 May 2002. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Who's who in Cape Town's gangland | IOL". IOL News. 5 August 2003. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  3. ↑ "The Cape's youth gangs: Bigger, deeper, more dangerous | Daily Maverick". www.dailymaverick.co.za. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  4. 1 2 Staff Reporter. "High noon for the Hard Living kids". The M&G Online. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  5. ↑ "Anti-Gang Fury Roils S. Africa - latimes". Articles.latimes.com. 1996-08-13. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  6. ↑ Lucky (2013-08-02). "Rashaad Staggie shot dead". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  7. ↑ Payne, Suné (13 December 2019). "Newsflash: Cape Town gang leader shot dead – Rashied Staggie's violent end". Daily Maverick . Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  8. 1 2 Maiden, R. Paul (1999). Employee Assistance Services in the New South Africa. Psychology Press. p. 54. ISBN   978-0-7890-0681-3.
  9. ↑ "Who's who in Cape Town's gangland | IOL" . Retrieved 2017-03-03.
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