KEY POINTS
- A national commission on gang violence is urgently needed, coalition says.
- Criminal networks are spreading far beyond the Western Cape region.
- The coalition warns gangsterism threatens national security and safety.
The urgent creation of a national commission of inquiry into the widespread gang violence in South Africa has been demanded by the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition.
Gang violence now extends far beyond the Western Cape
The coalition maintains that gangsterism is no longer limited to the Western Cape, despite the fact that gang violence there is still on the rise.
According to coalition leaders, there is a national security crisis in South Africa as a result of criminal networks growing and frightening vulnerable populations across multiple regions.
In order to save lives in the most affected communities across the country, the coalition has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to act immediately.
The problem has been ignored and downplayed by authorities for far too long, according to coalition chairperson Llewelyn MacMaster, who called it a national emergency.
“Too many families have been shattered, and too many lives have been lost. “The government must cease treating this as a provincial matter,” MacMaster stated.
With 263 incidents officially reported, the Western Cape had the highest number of gang-related homicides in the nation, according to third-quarter crime figures.
According to MacMaster, gangs are operating boldly in other provinces as well, frequently with little opposition from overburdened law authorities.
“KwaZulu-Natal has seen a terrifying rise in gang executions, where criminals act with impunity and openly defy the rule of law,” he stated.
He cautioned that extortion, armed robberies, and child recruitment by violent gangs are all major issues in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.
According to MacMaster, these syndicates prey on youngsters as young as ten years old, depriving them of their future and preparing them for a life of crime.
He emphasized that gang bosses run intricate, well-organized networks that frequently include international criminal links and cross-border contraband.
Civil groups back inquiry into gang violence crisis
According to ewn, the coalition thinks that the issue would worsen and erode public trust in government institutions if there isn’t a concerted national response.
According to MacMaster, the coalition is working with a variety of civil society organizations to back their expanding demand for a formal investigation.
He underlined that only a transparent, well-funded committee can uncover the full extent of gangsterism and provide workable, long-term solutions.
The coalition maintains that failure to act will result in additional fatalities and further weaken the already shaky feeling of justice and security in the country.
