The pastor who survived being shot eight times says bullets will not stop his peace work among gangsters.
|||Cape Town - The Cape Town pastor who survived being shot eight times says bullets will not stop his peace work among gangsters.
Ivan Waldeck, 45, a former gangster and chairman of the Western Cape Community Outreach Project, and his wife Natasha were shot on Sunday as they were driving near Sacks Circle in Bellville South after they had left the Holy Nation of God International Church, where he had delivered a sermon.
He is the second gangster-turned-pastor to be targeted in recent months – the first being Albern Martins.
Martins, 55, was shot dead outside the Blue Down’s Magistrate’s Court in March as he arrived to appear on charges of abalone smuggling.
Bishop Louis Green, spokesman for the Holy Nation of God International Church, said Waldeck told him that a bullet would not stop his work.
“I have been to his bedside; eight bullets went though him from the driver’s side. He still has a bullet lodged in his arm, one in his leg and another in his hip, but luckily all bullets missed his vital organs,” Green said.
He said Waldeck’s wife suffered extensive damage to her face after a bullet pierced her cheekbone and destroyed a lot of nasal tissue.
“She can’t breathe through her nose and her whole face is still swollen.”
Waldeck, who has been a pastor at the church for more than 10 years, was due to undergo surgery on Tuesday to have the rest of the bullets removed.
“He told me that he forgives the two people who attempted to take his life and that he knows that they are only the perpetrators, pawns being used.
“He also asked me to convey the message that a bullet would not stop his peace mediation work in the Cape Peninsula and encouraged us to keep the peace.”
Western Cape Community Police Forum chairman Hanif Loonat, commenting about gang violence in the Western Cape in general, said: “The prominent figures in these gangs are being shot, but these shootings have been happening all along.
“It is starting to become a common thing and we can’t allow this province to become lawless.”
Last week, Colin Booysen – an alleged Sexy Boys gang leader – was shot and wounded outside his Belhar home, and two men were shot dead in Lentegeur in what residents said was a gang-related shooting at the weekend.
Loonat said turf wars and the fact that there were fewer drugs available nowadays were the main reasons for gang violence.
“A lot of gangsters are also coming out on parole, so there is a territorial war where they want to claim back their territory.”
Loonat said gang shootings had become more brazen, with gang hits taking place in broad daylight and even outside courts.
“They have become more brazen because it’s done by youths under the age of 18.”
Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said no arrests had yet been made in the Waldeck shooting.
natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za
Cape Argus