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    In Photos: Prom Night in South Africa's Gangsterland

    In the township of Manenberg, one of the worst precincts in South Africa for drug crime, completing high school is a rare achievement.
    by Elles van Gelder Jun 09, 2017 3 minutes
    Lauren-Lee Scheepers and her prom date are cheered by neighbors who have come to see her in her prom gown. In Manenberg, families that can barely afford food save for prom gowns, tuxedos and limousines. For many of them, it's the first time a family member has finished high school.
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    In the swish part of Cape Town, tourists stroll on palm tree–lined boulevards and visit the white sand beaches in the suburbs of Clifton and Camps Bay. But just 12 miles from the center of the city, in the township of Manenberg, residents live in a very different reality: Gang warfare, unemployment and drug addiction create an environment that is anything but calm.

    The legacy of racism still looms over Manenberg, which was formed in 1966 under apartheidthe South African word for citizens of mixed race. Gangs like the Hard Livings, the Clever Kids and the Americans rule large swaths of the north, east and south sides of the township, while smaller gangs, like the Soldier Boys, Chesters and Dixie Boys, preside over whatever remaining territory they can claim. In 2015 to 2016, in a township of just 60,000 people, there were 60 murders (three times the national average), 130 attempted murders and 2,508 drug-related crimes, making it one of the top 10 worst precincts in South Africa for drug crime, according to police.

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