Cape Town - Police have arrested yet another alleged gang leader, as the clampdown on top Cape gang bosses continues.
On Monday afternoon, the police responded to information which led to the arrest of 42-year-old Igshaan Davids - nicknamed “Sanie American” - an alleged gang leader from Kensington. He was arrested for violating a protection order.
Police said the arrest was part of Operation Combat, under the leadership of veteran gang-buster, Major General Jeremy Veary, aimed at fighting gang violence in the province.
“In a bid to curb gender-based violence in the Western Cape and to intensify its efforts to arrest the perpetrators of such crimes, police identified a link between domestic violence and gang activities on the Cape Flats.
“This arrest must be seen as (proof of the police’s) commitment and determination... to stamp out incidents of domestic violence,” said police spokesman Tembinkosi Kinana.
Davids was due to appear in the Cape Town Regional Court on Tuesday.
On Friday, Veary announced the arrest of another alleged leader of a gang in Hanover Park - linked to several crimes under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).
Members of the several police units, led by Veary, carried out an operation in Hanover Park on Friday and arrested the alleged gang leader at a hide-out in John Down Walk.
The suspect had been under investigation for some time under the organised crime act and he faces several drug-related and gang activity charges.
This followed the recent arrests of two other gang kingpins in Hanover Park, that of Shafiek John, 39, alias “Blasie”, and Nigel Johnson, 38, known as “Lakens”.
The men, both alleged gang leaders, were arrested recently in Hanover Park for violating parole conditions.
* Davids’ arrest comes just months after he was arrested in December along with the alleged leader of the Wonder Kids gang, Christopher “Ougat” Patterson.
Police spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk said at the time that the suspects were arrested after 50 Mandrax tablets and 2.5 grams of tik were found inside a Kensington home belonging to Davids.
Since then, Davids told the Weekend Argus in an interview, he and Patterson had become friends after becoming involved in the management of a soccer competition run on a field in 14th Street in Kensington on Sundays.
It allows young men from the area - known as Davids’ territory, as well as from Factreton, known as Patterson’s turf, to join teams and compete on the field.
Both Davids and Patterson claimed to Weekend Argus that gang violence had dropped considerably since the two made peace, with former gangsters now playing sport together.
Davids has also been quoted as saying he has stopped his gang activities, and is now involved in the construction business.
Cape Argus