South Africa's Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has stated that the security forces are not yet capable of defeating deadly criminal gangs, a revelation that underscores the depth of the country's ongoing crime crisis.
Gang violence is a significant contributor to South Africa's alarming homicide rates, which rank among the highest worldwide.
Cachalia indicated that the nature of gang violence has grown more complicated, especially in provinces like Eastern Cape and Western Cape, necessitating new approaches beyond traditional policing methods.
I do not believe that we are currently in a position to defeat these gangs, Cachalia told the press.
The minister emphasized that South Africa, the most industrialized nation on the continent, has long been plagued by entrenched organized crime. Many citizens possess licensed firearms for protection, but the prevalence of illegal weapons remains a worrying concern. Recent police data revealed a shocking average of 63 murders per day between April and September of the previous year.
Cachalia's comments followed a recent visit to Nelson Mandela Bay, a region suffering from rampant gang-related violence, which he described as a killing spree. According to local prevention groups, 118 individuals were killed there between August and December last year. The violence has persisted into 2023, with approximately 40 deaths reported in January alone.
Despite the establishment of an anti-gang unit in 2019, Cachalia acknowledged that gangsters seem to be gaining an upper hand. He criticized the reactive nature of law enforcement, stating, Establishing gang units from time to time is an ad hoc response to a growing problem. He concluded by expressing that the police are doing their best, but the issue is expanding rapidly.
