South Africa’s Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has admitted that the country’s security forces are not yet able to defeat deadly criminal gangs, highlighting the scale of the country’s crime crisis.
Gang violence, alongside robberies, accounts for many murders in South Africa, which has one of the world’s highest homicide rates.
Cachalia said gang violence has become increasingly complex, especially in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces, requiring new strategies beyond traditional policing.
The minister’s comments come after a wave of killings in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape, where 118 people were killed between August and December last year.
The violence has continued into the new year, with around 40 people killed across the region in January.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised stronger law enforcement action and increased police deployment to tackle the gang violence.
Cachalia emphasized the need for a holistic approach, combining tougher policing with social investment, to curb escalating gang violence.
He also highlighted concerns about systemic problems, including corruption and politicization of policing, that hinder efforts to combat organized crime.
