No matter how much political theater they put on, it could not change the fact that the situation was steadily worsening. Contradictions once swept under the rug were now surfacing one after another.
Public security in Cape Town rapidly deteriorated. Murder, robbery, rape... all manner of vicious crimes emerged in endless succession, leaving people deeply unsettled.
The Cape Town Colonial Government proved utterly powerless in this regard. The police, steeped in bureaucratic habits, did nothing. Not that they did absolutely nothing—they concentrated their forces on protecting the interests of the powerful and wealthy.
The worsening security situation was still a minor matter; it merely meant that gunfights were becoming more frequent. The colony's people were not soft persimmons to be squeezed. Even if the men had joined the army, the women could still pick up guns and kill.
After the initial chaos, the people also learned to huddle together for warmth. In any case, the colony had a tradition of universal gun ownership, and most ordinary households had hunting rifles.
Without outside intervention, the future Cape Town would become another holy land for gangs. After this wave, it would be hard for gang power not to grow stronger.
A middle-aged official reported anxiously, "Your Excellency, since the outbreak of the war, food prices in Cape Town have already tripled, exceeding the limits that many ordinary people can bear.
"Not only food—most daily necessities have risen in price to varying degrees, and some goods have even gone out of stock."
Profiting from a national calamity was a basic quality of an outstanding capitalist. Of course, this time was an exception. The capitalists could not bear all the blame for the soaring prices.
Because of the war, Cape Town had lost the food produced in South Africa and could only depend entirely