South Africa:We’re not in a position to defeat gangs’ — acting police minister

Police are not yet in a position to put an end to gangsterism in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, acting police minister Prof Firoz Cachalia said on Wednesday.

“I do not believe we are currently in a position to defeat this crime … they are on a killing spree in the Western Cape, with a similar pattern in the Eastern Cape,” Cachalia said during his visit to crime-infested Nelson Mandela Bay.

“The issue of anti-gang units, and how they are used, remains a concern.

“I have made some observations, and I have indicated the challenge of organised crime in the Western and Eastern Cape is one we still have to confront.”

He chaired a crime-focused engagement involving local stakeholders.

The meeting brought together community leaders, church representatives and members of community policing forums.

Cachalia’s visit comes after months of hell in the metro, which includes Gqeberha, Kariega and Despatch, where communities have been plagued by relentless bloodshed.

The city’s northern areas — including Gelvandale, Algoa Park and Helenvale — saw a deadly surge in violence in the latter part of last year, with 118 people killed between August and December, according to the Spiritual Crime Prevention group.

The bloodshed has spilt into the new year.

During the week of January 5 to 11 alone, about 40 people were murdered across the metro, insiders said.

The killings of Junath Goliath in Kleinskool and Simphiwe Sikiwe in Qunu over the past seven days are among the latest deaths to have rocked the Bay.

The northern areas of the metro remain among the most dangerous parts of the city, with gang violence deeply entrenched in several communities.

So severe is the situation in Algoa Park that the local police station closes its gates at night due to fears of gang violence.

The main gate is rolled shut, and members of the public seeking assistance must use an intercom to alert officers in the charge office before being allowed inside.

Here, young people are often the ones falling foul of the law.

Official figures show that between November 1 2024 and October 31 2025, 1,868 young people aged 14 to 35 were charged with crimes in the northern areas.

Of these, 444 were drug-related charges, 259 were for common assault, and 258 were for driving offences.

Violent crimes included 142 counts of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, 73 counts of unlawful possession of firearms, 33 attempted murders and 22 murders, alongside other property and related offences.

Meanwhile, the release of SA’s crime statistics for the second quarter of the 2025/26 financial year revealed the Western Cape was the most dangerous province, while the Eastern Cape recorded the second-highest number of murders per 100,000 people.

Cachalia said the overall situation was problematic.

“We had a discussion about the problem of organised crime in the Eastern Cape, including extortion rackets, gang violence and related issues,” he said.

“I indicated that this is a grave problem throughout the country, that these cartels wield significant wealth and power, and that this is deeply concerning.”

He added: “Establishing gang units from time to time is an ad hoc response to a growing problem.

“I am waiting for the strategy that the police are working on to be presented to me.”