South Africa's Police Minister Firoz Cachalia stated on Wednesday that security forces are not currently in a position to defeat criminal gangs. This admission highlights the country's ongoing crime challenges.
Current Situation
Cachalia indicated that gang violence has become increasingly complex, particularly in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces. He emphasized the need for new strategies beyond traditional policing methods.
Gang violence, along with robberies, contributes to a significant number of murders in South Africa, a nation with one of the world's highest homicide rates. Police data for April to September last year showed an average of 63 people were killed daily.
Organized Crime and Firearms
South Africa, the continent's most industrialized nation, has a long history of struggling with organized crime. Cachalia's remarks followed a visit to Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape, where he noted that criminal gangs were involved in a wave of killings in both provinces. He discussed the problem of organized crime, including extortion rackets and gang violence, stating that criminal organizations possess significant wealth and power.
Despite the establishment of an anti-gang unit in 2019, Cachalia commented that combating these gangs remains a persistent challenge, suggesting that such units are temporary responses to a growing issue.
Many South African citizens own licensed firearms for personal protection. However, statistics from the South African Gunowners' Association indicate approximately three million licensed firearms and at least the same number of unlicensed weapons in circulation among a population of 63 million.
Recent Incidents
The minister's visit occurred months after Nelson Mandela Bay experienced a surge in killings, with 118 people reported dead between August and December last year by a local prevention group. Violence has continued into the new year, with about 40 people killed across the region in January, according to local media.
Recent mass shootings include:
- 11 people killed last month near Johannesburg in an incident linked to illegal mining turf wars.
- 11 people, including a three-year-old child, killed at Saulsville Hostel in Pretoria just two weeks prior.
- Eight customers killed at a tavern in Durban last May.
Government Response
President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed to stronger law enforcement action and increased police deployment to address gang violence in the country.