Manenberg mom shot during rival youth fight: 'We've failed her as a woman and mother'

Clarence Ford interviews Yumna Louw Alexander, a teacher and community activist.

Listen below.

Last week, Tasleema Erasmus, a mother from Manenberg, was tragically shot during a stone-throwing gang fight between two rival youth groups who frequently clashed in the streets.

Her son was involved in one of these groups.

Alexander clarifies that most of these boys do not belong to any specific gang, nor are they affiliated with any gangs.

A relative of Tasleema believes her death was intentional, as she had been outspoken about the violence between the groups, where children as young as nine and as old as 21 engage in these dangerous stone-throwing fights.

"You have a variety of age groups that started participating in this illegal activity of throwing stones on a daily basis. It was on a daily basis that this would happen."

- Yumna Louw Alexander, Teacher and community activist

Just three days before her tragic passing, Tasleema had reached out to teacher and community activist Yumna Alexander for assistance in helping her son leave the gang and return to school.

However, when Alexander returned to Tasleema to discuss the intervention, she was met with an unimaginable tragedy.

Instead of the conversation she had hoped for, Alexander says she found herself holding Tasleema’s lifeless body in her arms as she died.

Alexander says that SAPS, the CPF, and the community have failed Tasleema – both as a mother and as a woman.

"For the past month, Tasleema went in and out to Manenberg SAPS, laying complaints, reaching out... asking what can we do about this... She never made it a secret that her sons are part of this illegal action, but she wanted help... We definitely, as a community, failed Tasleema."

- Yumna Louw Alexander, Teacher and community activist

In the wake of this heartbreaking loss, there is a silver lining. Nine children involved in the gang activities have since enrolled in Alexander’s night school program, offering them a chance for a better future.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.

Manenberg mom shot during rival youth fight: 'We've failed her as a woman and mother' – Activist

Just three days before her tragic passing, Tasleema had reached out to teacher and community activist Yumna Alexander for assistance in helping her son leave the fights and return to school.