JOHANNESBURG — It was raining on the night of Dec. 11 and a lifeless body of a disabled man, a former soccer player and gangster, lay on the street in a puddle of blood and rain. 

Paul Pula Myles, an ex-member of the “Fast Guns” gang, had suffered 14 bullet wounds to the face. Although he had turned his life around nearly two decades earlier, Myles was allegedly shot by members of a rival gang, known as the “Varados” in Westbury, in the west of Johannesburg.

The Township of Westbury — the first place Black people could legally live in the city of Johannesburg — is under siege by two gangs — the “Varados” and the “Fast Guns” — who are maiming each other on a daily basis for a host of reasons ranging from revenge to drugs and including a fight for territorial power.

READ: 5 Catholic Storylines To Watch For In 2024

Myles, also a former defender of Cosmos F.C. soccer club, was a cousin of Pastor Jefferson Johnson. He is among a group of South African pastors who have risked their lives by preaching the gospel to Black South Africans in places where gang violence and murder seems to be an unending cycle.  

Some pastors preach in many communities other than Westbury, including Sophiatown, Langlaagte, Eldorado Park, Riverlea, Newclare, and in others across an area known as in Western Cape in places such as Hanover Park, Mitchells Plain and Cape Flats. They continue to preach even though their friends, family and church members live under the threat of gang violence.

To ensure there is stability within these communities, these pastors also minister to the gangsters and play soccer with them. That does not always guarantee their safety. Some pastors have now become gang targets for their work. 

Mothers clean up blood

The unending violence in these communities across South Africa has led to many distressed mothers being called in to crime scenes, not only to identify the bodies of their maimed children, but to also remove their blood from the streets. 

The Cape Flats is regarded as an area with high rate of gang crime. It is under the siege of at least seven mainline and five recognized splinter groups with many clicks affiliated to them. The gangsterism in the Cape Flats spills over to Westbury, which is approximately 868 miles (1,398 kilometers) away. 

South African census figures from 2022, the latest ones available, showed that South Africa has a population of 62 million: 81.4% are Black Africans, followed by 8.2% Colored and 7.3% white. In South Africa, the term “colored” refers to people of mixed ancestry.

A woman dubbed the “Mother Teresa of Westbury,” Bridget Munnik works as the center manager at a place called the Mashup Youth Centre.

“It is painful and emotional for a mother to pick up her dead child from the streets and to clean up the blood,” she said.

Mashup uses skills development programs to encourage youth to shun guns and drugs.

Founder of the Community Resource Centre (CRC) Non-Profit-Company and co-partner of Ceasefire Cure Violence SA, located in Hanover Park, Pastor Craven Engel said, “This is probably the saddest thing to experience — witnessing a grieving mom starring at her lifeless son’s body on the ground with the brains all over the street.”

Both organizations work with the U.S.-based Ceasefire Cure Violence, located in Chicago. They curb gang violence, rehabilitate gangsters and also try to win the souls of existing gangsters.

Gunshots a daily occurrence

In a period of just four years, CRC detected more than 16,000 gunshots through its gunfire detection. Engel said there are about 80 gang fatalities and another 170 who were wounded each year in his community. 

“Gun shootings is a daily occurrence, but we need to press on through these circumstances,” Engel said. “Gun shooting could happen eight times a month. As I am replying to you [on Dec. 1], I was notified of a 13-year-old boy who accidently shot himself while he was playing with his uncle’s gun. The uncle was preparing his gun for retaliation. The child died and the uncle is continuing with the retaliation.”

As if that was enough, two weeks later in an interview with Religion Unplugged, Engel said, “I am planning the funeral of a 15-year-old who was shot on Dec. 9.”

Back in Westbury, Myles’ slaying took place about a month after the assassination of Leroy “Finch” Brown who was believed to have been the leader of the “Varados” gang in that same area. Allegations are that Finch was slain by members of the “Fast Guns.”   

Finch’s death and an alleged hit-list comprising names of victims has left the Westbury community in fear. The uneasiness was further driven by widespread allegations within Westbury that gang members from the Cape Flats were coming to exert revenge for Finch’s murder. 

It is unclear whether Myles was among those who were on the list.

“I am in danger but I am not afraid anymore. I still feel brave at times however it has become more complicated because of death threats.,” Johnson said.

Myles is not the only family member that Johnson has lost to gang violence. His other cousin and eldest brother were also killed. Although Johnson has been working as a pastor for the past year, he was was addicted to drugs for 20 years. 

“I come from a family where drug dealing and gangsterism is the order of the day,” he recalled. “But my aunt helped me to give my life to Jesus Christ. I followed Christ, not gangsterism and drug dealing.”

Johnson added: “I have had one too many burials and that was tremendously painful. Violence in our area increases by the day and it exposes the church to major attacks. A young evangelist was shot in the leg on Nov. 25. He was with his wife and a man who reared him. The evangelist survived, but his wife and the man who reared him died. Unfortunately, I could not attend the memorial and the funeral due to the crime in the area. I cannot set foot there. The fight for territory, revenge, and the best drugs to sell to the youth is unending.”

Engel, meanwhile, said two of his brother in-laws have been shot at, but survived the murder attempt.

“One of our church members’ 14-year-old son was shot and killed when he was coming out of school via a stray bullet,” Engel said. “Another church member recently lost both her sons due to gang violence. My assistant pastor’s wife was also hit by a stray bullet when she tried to help someone. She is still struggling to use her arm today. My granddaughter’s father was also shot in his back, but he survived. The worst was when the husband of one of our young ladies in the ministry was shot in front of the door of their home. When they heard the shot, he fell dead in front of his children. They are still struggling with post-traumatic stress.”

Pastors shot at during funerals

Funerals have always been the great platform for pastors to win souls, but they are currently dangerous places as well.

Pastors have been targeted during burials, night vigils and even Sunday church services. This has led to some pastors in Westbury refusing to conduct funerals of current and former gangsters.

Pastor Eugene Wheats of True Life Ministries South Africa said God and his angels have continuously protected him from being killed either through gunfire or from being stabbed. 

“There was a guy who had a big knife over my head. He wanted to stab me but by the grace of God, I stood my ground and fearlessly looked him in the eyes and told him ‘you will not hurt the next person and you will not hurt me.’ That gangster said no one has stood up against him like that,” Wheats recalled.

Wheats escaped the bullets aimed at him during a memorial service at the Westbury Flats.

“It was a scary moment. People were fearful and were running around on that day. I know that God was with us because none of us were touched by a bullet,” Wheats said. “The situation was beyond our control. So, we are forever grateful, thankful and bless God for his protection over our lives.”

The second incident was at the funeral of his son’s friend who was killed allegedly by members of the “Varados”. They suspected that he was a member of the “Fast Guns.”   

Wheats and other pastors led the service. Strangely, the funeral of one of the “Varados” members was held at the same place and day. After the service, Wheats, his wife, his uncle Apostle Moses Wheats of Living Trinity Church and one of their female church members got inside a car.

Suddenly, Wheats recalled, several “Varados” members started firing at them. 

“I tried to be brave,” he said. “I got out of the car and I said to the guys, ‘gents, we do not need to do this.’ I think they were in a different state of mind and they did not hear me. A young man started randomly shooting at us and continued toward me. By the grace of God, I just felt something lift me and throw me on the floor.  I will never forget that day. So, I believe that was not my day to die because the angel of the Lord picked me up and kept me down on the floor.”

Some of the people who were attending the burial pulled out their guns and opened fire on the rival gang.

“When I got up from the ground, my wife was driving our car and the door was opened. Just like Queen Latifah in the film, “Set It Off,” saying, ‘love, love, come,’ I shouted at her and said, ‘drive away.’ Fear was all over me,” Wheats said. “At the time, she asked me this question, ‘are you afraid.’ I was thinking to myself, ‘woman, I nearly got shot almost four to five times and you are asking me, ‘am I afraid.’ I just shouted, ‘drive’ because fear gripped me at that moment.”  

“I dived over one of the graves. Some people jumped into the graves because many guys had guns,” he added. “They just made havoc at the cemetery ground. For that reason, I did not want to go to the cemetery for almost two months. So, it took me almost 10 weeks to recover from that incident and gain my sanity. But now it is normal to go to the graveside to bury people. Despite that, I have decided to stop being brave. I am no longer playing brave, Mel Gibson, John Rambo or whatever. That day, I realized that it is better to stay out of things that are not meant for me.”

Johnson said it has been very difficult preaching to his community. 

“If you conduct a burial for a member of one of the rivals, you are then seen as the opposition. You then end up being a target for both gangs,” he said. “Some people say I have a big mouth and I should let the gangsters kill one another. I do not think that is an option. Currently, I use wisdom and refrain from walking to certain areas. Some of the Pastors have decided not to bury a gangster due to violence after the burial of a young man at the cemetery.”

Engel said a gangster’s funeral is always packed with the unsaved and hopeless people seeking for God. John 3:17 is his key verse at funerals.

“My mind is always set to preach to those who are still alive,” Engel said. “I steer away from the incident of the deceased, and I raise awareness of the dangers of gang violence and that we can provide a change.”

Painful burials

Wheats said it was a painful experience to bury his church member who was shot in full view of his 9-year-old son. 

“He had to shield his son from the bullet. Today, the son — who is currently 12 years old — thinks nothing else, but to pay revenge for his father’s death. It has affected his schooling. His father took the bullet in front of him and saved his life. It has really traumatized him,” Wheats said.

Other pastors have similar stories. Engel said the killing of two gangsters who had turned a new leaf was the most painful funeral service he had ever conducted. 

“They decided to change their lives with permission from their gang boss because it is a must for them to get permission,” Engel said. “Therefore, our organization helps with the exit. It is a process that takes a year or two while the gang monitors the process. After their exit from the gang, they started to lead a healthy lifestyle. … I could not hold back my tears at the funeral.”

Although some pastors were once gang members, Wheats said, “We have quite a few of them in our community and it is not something new for us and God changed their lives radically.  They became a helpful force going to the schools and they preach the gospel out there.”

Wheats said this problem began in the 1970s among soccer players and has escalated in the ensuing decades.

“We all know each other. It will be rare if a gangster or his family is not known,” Wheats said. “This is because family members or friends join gangsterism. Gangsterism is nothing new. … We have this evil where we kill and wipe one another out.”

Munnik echoed a similar experience.

“When I was growing up, the gangsters killed each other,” Munnik said. “The children of the deceased gangsters have grown up and now they want revenge on those who killed their fathers. It is very sad for them to want to pay revenge because they were not even born when these crimes were committed. I always say the deceased will never come back, so leave everything in God's hands.”

Vicky Abraham is an investigative journalist based in South Africa and has reported for the Mail & Guardian, City Press, Assist News, the Nation newspaper in Nigeria and Nation Media Group in Kenya.