Cape Town's gang violence: communities under siege and in desperate need of action

Calvin Rafadi

Gangsterism has become entrenched in the city’s social fabric, exploiting the historical inequalities created by apartheid. Vulnerable children are often recruited as foot soldiers and tragically end up as both perpetrators and victims of the violence. The South African Police Service (SAPS) has not yet found a sustainable solution to counter these gangs, who act with impunity and brazen disregard for law and order.

Every day, South Africans wake up to grim news reports of turf wars, revenge killings, and innocent lives lost. Disturbingly, many of the shooters are teenagers under the age of 17. The question ordinary South Africans ask is: who benefits from this cycle of horror? Some argue that drug lords and or the “big fish(s)” profit most. Others believe government officials linked to procurement processes, may benefit through emergency spending on security technologies, which has produced minimum results. Meanwhile, the violence continues unabated.

The effects on communities are devastating. Families live in constant fear, with children being killed in drive-by shootings, while others are killed while attending court or standing outside their homes. My research reveals that some community members are complicit by protecting gangs during police raids, whether out of fear, coercion, or personal benefit.

This makes successful recovery of guns and drugs extremely difficult. Young people idolise gangsters, abandoning school in search of quick status and financial gain. In some heartbreaking cases, children even wait for their parents to pass away so they can inherit homes, but only to sell them cheaply to drug lords. Though the families remain in those houses, the deeds belong to the criminal syndicates.

Police top brass has said they will add more than 171 vehicles as additional resources and that the military is not necessarily to be roped in this war against crime.

To break this cycle, bold and decisive measures are required:

1. Declare a State of Emergency: Crime hot spots must be declared state-of-emergency zones. This would enable the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist SAPS and metro police as force multipliers tactics.

2. Stronger Search and Seizure Powers: Security forces should be empowered to conduct unannounced raids, seize weapons and drugs, and use advanced tools such as cellphone jammers to disrupt gang communications.

3. Target the Kingpins: While foot soldiers are being arrested, the “big fish(s)” remain untouched in upmarket suburbs. The Assets Forfeiture Unit must urgently seize properties, cars, and businesses acquired through proceeds of crime.

4. Guard Against Police Capture: SAPS anti-gang units must rotate personnel regularly to prevent infiltration or collusion with drug lords, which are allegations frequently raised by communities on the ground.

5. Rehabilitation and Prevention: Non-profit organisations must be supported to provide safe spaces and rehabilitation programmes for children addicted to drugs or seeking a way out of gang culture. Prevention is as important as enforcement.

Cape Town’s gangsterism crisis is not just about crime, it is about communities under siege, children robbed of futures, and a nation failing to protect its most vulnerable citizens and as such a different robust approach is needed. The cycle will only be broken if government shows the political will to confront both the gangs on the streets and the powerful individuals who profit behind closed doors.

* Rafadi is a crime expert and Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg