The gang is largely secretive about such topics as well as its history, leading to a shortage of verifiable information.
In the early 20th century Mzuzephi Mathebula made headlines in the city of Durban by recruiting men to join the 28s whom by that time were also Amalayitha.
The story says that a man named Paul Mambazo became alarmed by the exploitation of miners in late 1800 South Africa.
He then befriended a young Zulu boy called Nongoloza who said he was on his way to the mines to look for work, and Ngeleketyane who was a Xhosa.
Paul ordered the two men to carve their daily outlaw activities on a nearby rock which would serve as a diary.
Paul then ordered the two men to visit a farm, owned by a Mr. Rabie, and to buy one of his bulls called Rooiland (Red Earth).
The two youths refused to leave without carrying out their order, and proceeded to stab the farmer with bayonets and then steal the bull, and slaughter it for a feast.
There were now two copies of the gang's ways, and Paul explained that the bandits must follow the rules as they had been set out from the beginning.
Nongoloza replied that according to the hide, sex between bandits was allowed in order to avoid contact with women.
Ngeleketyani retaliated by saying that he didn't trust Nongoloza, believing he had added this law to the hide after half of the rock was lost.
Ngeleketyane found that this did indeed take place, but opinions remained divided as to whether this justified Nongoloza's act.
Due to the death of Paul, a final decision on whether sexual intercourse between men was allowed never came to pass.
At Point Prison they encountered a group of six men, led by a Zulu man named Grey, who were franse (non-gangsters).
Later Ngeleketyane told him that these men were skilled smugglers and gamblers who had helped him in his early days in prison.
It was decided that when a gangster broke a rule, the blood of a warder or franse (non-gangster) must be spilled to set things right.
Haysom's study (1981) on prison gangs is based on Supreme Court trial records and supplemented with some interviews with ex-offenders.
Schurink's paper (1989) summarises the findings of a study on prison gangs commissioned by the Department of Correctional Services.
Should a member stay in the lower ranks, he will be considered a woman and will be sexually abused until he proves his manhood.
The glas' job is to conduct gang business in die bos (the bush), the parts of the prison where the 28s are not active.
The new recruit will be given a knife whose length is determined by another senior member of the gang known as the nyangi (the doctor).
The landdros carries four stamps – white, green, red and black, which signify the four hooves on the Rooiland.
New members can be stripped of all their clothes and thrown into an ice cold shower until they "find the number" (get it right).
One of the last things new members learn is about a position in the silver line held by a man named Mtjoetijies.
Nongoloza grew increasingly wary about what Mtjoetijies was saying to the white officers, and decided to kill him as a precaution.
In the days when the bloodlines were still open the gold line members had a very strict diet to follow as they were not allowed to get fat.
Upon the closing of the bloodlines the gold line demanded that they get the food they wanted since there was no longer a need to stay fit.
All members of the 27 gang are seen as the descendants of Ngeleketyani, a mpondo man from Mpondoland who was said to have started the Number with his alley at that time Nongoloza in 1800s [8] It is believed that there was major conflict between the 26s and 28s and so the 27s were acting as mediators between the two groups.
The numbers gangs are well aware that the consequences of their actions will not result in a beating or the death penalty, and therefore new initiates are encouraged to stab a warden or even to attempt to take his eye out of the socket.
[citation needed] One of the most compelling messages that the numbers gang members like to send to the warders is by holding up a mirror toward the warden.
One notable feature of the numbers gang is that it is a nationwide brotherhood that is prevalent in every prison across South Africa.