An unprecedented truce has broken out in the notorious, crime-infested townships around Cape Town, as rival gang leaders stop their turf wars to bring food to households.
With South Africa in the middle of a lockdown, many people in poor communities are struggling to buy the goods that they need.
A virus and a nationwide emergency may have achieved what the police and the army have failed to do here.
Instead of selling drugs and robbing people, rival gangs are bagging up food supplies for hungry families. There is relief here for sure that a ceasefire has taken hold during the lockdown.
But it is hard to tell what people here really think about the men who have terrorised their neighbourhoods for decades - and the authorities are sceptical.
The temporary ceasefire offers the slither of a hope that the virus will bring lasting change to some of the most dangerous streets in the world.
- Expanding Africa’s vaccine production capacity key – Noguchi Director
- Dengue fever epidemic declared in Burkina Faso
- Frontiers earned over $87m while government got under $7m from COVID testing at KIA – Report
- I donated PPE worth over $1 million during COVID-19 pandemic – Ken Agyapong
- Ablakwa releases ‘inaccessible details’ of contract awarded to Frontiers for COVID test at the airport
- Read all related articles