In the four years since the unit’s inception, numerous attempts on the lives of its members have been foiled.
The impact is immense and means a complete overhaul of the way the officers live, according to unit commander Detective-Colonel Mike Grobler.From changing their routes to work to never eating in the same restaurant twice and being super-alert when walking their dogs, extreme vigilance has become second nature.
Prosecutors are also not immune to threats, according to deputy director of public prosecutions Indra Goberdan.
Gang unit members – who won several provincial awards earlier this month for their efforts in clamping down on gangs – told in an interview how Eastern Cape gangsters in prison were contracting Cape Town gangsters to kill investigators, witnesses and prosecutors.
All the plots were uncovered before they were carried out, with the latest coming to light earlier this month.
The gang unit was initially formed to deal solely with Port Elizabeth’s Northern Areas gangs, but the unit’s mandate was extended to the rest of the province earlier this year after it was determined that gangsters were moving into smaller towns to expand their networks.
Since it came into being in 2013, the unit has arrested 1 060 gangsters in connection with 836 criminal cases, with 105 gangsters sentenced to a total of 1 222 years in jail.
The Eastern Cape gang unit also had more witnesses in witness protection than any other unit in the country, Grobler said.
He said gangsters were targeting the unit as a result of its success rate.
“They do not care about you, your family or anyone you know,” he said. “All they care about is staying out of jail. “We are the ones keeping them there, which is why they are coming after us.” Grobler said the effect on the unit members’ lives was massive.
“None of us can go out for supper in the same place twice.
“We cannot walk around a shopping centre with our children or grab a few beers after work.
“It has reached the stage where walking your dog around the block is a risk.”
Grobler said every member of the unit was vetted and told what the job entailed when they signed up. “This unit will consume your life. “My team is constantly on edge and aware of what is happening around them.