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Bored housewives – middle-aged women – are among the biggest customers for drug dealers in the North Coast’s upmarket gated estates.
This is according to a former drug dealer, speaking to the Courier following the recent arrest of Siza Dipoko, a 37 year old foreign national, together with the Hawks seizing a R4-million stash of drugs in the Zimbali Wedge development.
Today, deep-pocketed drug merchants are taking advantage of the protection offered to them by private estates, running illicit black market narcotics operations to meet the apparently endless demand for cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine in Ballito.
A former narcotics trafficker, whose identity is known only to the Courier, explained the habits of his ‘clientele’ in the area, and the particular advantage of operating from within gated estates.
“We would hide our bricks (of cocaine) in the houses because the police can’t come inside and they can’t search our cars properly. Our product would get finished quickly. Some people drop 100 or 200 grand in a night on a couple of bricks.”
He added that he was surprised that most of his end-user clients were middle-aged women, as he was used to providing small ‘bags’ of drugs to younger people and businessmen.
“Maybe they just get bored. But that’s why we moved into the area because the demand is so high,” he explained.
Recently an alleged heroin dealer was arrested by the Hawks Narcotics Enforcement Bureau at the upmarket Zimbali Wedge estate, found in possession of R4 million worth of heroin, drug equipment and a large amount of cash.
He had also been using additional properties to store drugs, according to the Hawks. The accused is currently out on bail of R250 000, however, Umhlali SAPS could not comment due to the matter being handled by the Hawks.
The Courier also interviewed a local former addict now in good recovery and gained a raw insight into the underworld of drug use and drug culture locally, which expanded far away from the casual users at ‘street’ level.
Conversing openly, the former millionaire explained how it was impossible to function with a high-end lifestyle without having the ‘highrisk’ factor to boot.
“Sex, drugs and money go hand in hand with each other. Cocaine was just a bargaining chip in the corporate world for business deals and we used it openly on the table while negotiating contracts for work with clients. What’s 60 grams worth of coke when the deal is worth millions?”
“But the truth is that when you have a lot of money and you still have that void in you, the only thing that makes you feel powerful is a couple of lines of coke or if you can’t afford it, heroin or just alcohol.”
“A lot of bored housewives are left alone while their husbands are away on business and when it comes down to it, if you have privacy in a gated estate, you can get away with a lot more,” he said.
For some time now, criminals have been renting properties within gated estates on a short-term basis, with the purpose of dealing drugs or targeting other homes in the estates.
The accelerating matter of short-term rentals was not a selling point for many permanent homeowners and has been a matter of concern when certified residents’ associations relax their rules to bring quick rentals in, as ordered by a developer or board of directors.
John Wilson, a resident of an upmarket estate and advocate for keeping estates secure for permanent residents, commented that some misguided homeowners’ associations have directors on board who don’t represent the interests of those looking for the secure lifestyle they bought into.
“We have boards with individuals who aren’t qualified at all managing large portfolios and controlling key aspects such as security, and professional managing associations don’t have the gumption to stand up and voice against powerful people to take the correct path. Every few years the boards are replaced and clauses are added and omitted to constitutions, granting them more power.”
John added that in his experience, developers and board members are not willing to speak openly around a table about important matters and don’t allow opposing views to have a voice.
“We want to sit down and discuss the matter like gentlemen because we understand that due to economics, a lot more people are renting – and that’s fine – but let us not compromise the security and leave ourselves vulnerable for criminals to take advantage of,” John said.
The expansion of more gated communities along the North Coast is a welcome sight for economic growth – however, the ability to police the black market industry is going to be a difficult hurdle for external agencies to audit from behind the fence.
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