The Numbers Gang – South Africa’s Biggest Gang

One day Po ordered some members to buy a bull from a nearby farmer, the farmer distrusted them and would not sell his animal. Rather than go home without having carried out their orders they stabbed the farmer to death and took the bull. The bull was carved up and eaten, Po filled the horn with blood and ordered the men to drink. Kilikigan spat the blood straight out saying it was poison, whereas Nongoloza drank it down in a heart beat. This caused the first of many rifts in the group, Nongoloza’s men called Kilikigan a coward and Kilikigan replied saying that Nongoloza was a ‘muti man’ (evil potion man). Later that evening, Po pressed the bull’s hide onto the rock carved with their rules so that they were embossed on the animal skin. Nongoloza took the skin and Kilikigan took the rock so they could split up but always keep the code. The rock is supposed to have fallen at some point and split into two with one half being lost in the river, so Kilikigan’s band of men only had half of the rules written down. The rift between the groups was further deepened one night when Nongoloza said he was sick and did not go out with the troop, he asked for one of Kilikigan’s men, Magubane, to be left behind with him. On the troops return they found the men “at it” and were enraged. Nongoloza said the rules allowed sleeping with gang members to prevent them from mingling with people outside of the group. This led to a bloody fight between the two team captains that only stopped once Po returned. Po split the two groups finally, Nongoloza with eight men and Kilikigan with seven. This gave them their numbers with the “2” representing the number of leaders: 27s and 28s. Both groups ended up going to Point Prison where they met a group of skilled gamblers and smugglers, these six men became the 26s. And since that semi-mythical tale played out, the gang has gone from strength to strength and in some form or other have representatives in most South African prisons.