11pm and Johannesburg's crack police force The Flying Squad are called out to a shooting. Sandwiched in bulletproof vests they attend to a drunken fight that has left two men fatally wounded. Officer Du Toit believes the suspect is standing in the crowd. "There's not much we can do", he says reaching for a cigarette. "We can't go and search everyone." Without popular support and proper manpower such pro-active policing is just too dangerous. Witnesses here rarely come forward for fear of reprisals and because the Police are not trusted. Black and white officers are equally abused. Sgt. Maluke now sits behind his desk in a wheelchair. He left his office to buy some lunch and was shot by two men who were out to steal his gun. It's vicious robberies like these that keep gangs well armed. At 2am the squad is off on the next call. Another police officer has been shot. It's an all too common scene that is undermining South Africa's future.

Produced by SABC Special Assignment