‘Die klipgooiers’: gangsterism and the influence of the stone-throwing subculture in a gang-affected community in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Gangsterism is widely recognised as a serious problem in various communities throughout South Africa. It is specifically communities of the Cape Flats in the Western Cape and those of the northern areas in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape that receive much media attention due to gang violence and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Petrus, T. S. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2017
In: Acta criminologica
Year: 2017, Volume: 30, Issue: 5, Pages: 38-50
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
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Summary:Gangsterism is widely recognised as a serious problem in various communities throughout South Africa. It is specifically communities of the Cape Flats in the Western Cape and those of the northern areas in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape that receive much media attention due to gang violence and related activities. This paper aims to provide some insights into the relationship between gangsterism and the prevailing subculture(s) that provide the context within which gangs emerge and flourish. The paper specifically focuses on the stone-throwing (Afrikaans: ‘klipgooi’) subculture that appears to be the starting point for many youths who eventually end up in gangs. The author utilises the example of the gang-affected community of Helenvale in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa to illustrate the arguments and points discussed.
ISSN:1012-8093