Cape Crime Crisis Coalition Calls for Inquiry Into Gang Violence, Mzansi Says It’s a Waste of Money

• The Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (CCCC) wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to act against gang violence in the country
• The CCCC called on the president to establish an inquiry into gang violence, saying that it was a national crisis
• South Africans didn't agree with calls for an inquiry, saying that nothing ever came of the previous inquiries

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

Gang violence in the Western Cape continues to dominate the headlines, and the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (CCCC) is calling on the president to do something about it.

The coalition has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish a national commission of inquiry into the scourge of gang violence.

The group described it as a growing national crisis, saying it threatened the security and well-being of communities not just in the Cape, but across South Africa.

CCCC concerned by rising number of gang-related murders

The CCCC’s leader and crime expert, Dr Llewellyn MacMaster, noted how the recent crime stats showed that the Western Cape remained a problem area.

“The crime stats show 208 of the 240 gang-related murders in South Africa occurred in the Western Cape alone, and some of these police stations have been in the top 30 for some time,” he noted.

He added that promises were made of an intentional fight against gangs, and the launch of the anti-gang unit in 2018, but the results could not be seen.

“At the moment, for people on the ground, it feels as if it’s getting worse by the day.”

It's not just the coalition that has expressed frustration, as the community members have also had enough. In October 2024, an angry mob took matters into their own hands when they beat a man in front of the police after a young girl was shot dead.

Johann Rupert highlights gang violence problem

The country’s gang violence was highlighted on the global stage when South African billionaire Johann Rupert addressed it in the White House. The billionaire dismissed the notion of white genocide during the meeting between the South African delegation and members of Donald Trump’s administration on 21 May.

He said that while John Steenhuisen wouldn’t admit it, because the Democratic Alliance (DA) ran the Western Cape, the biggest murder rate came from the Cape Flats. He then appealed to Trump for assistance in fighting the scourge.

The DA took issue with the statement, saying that while they were in charge of the province, it was ministers of the African National Congress who managed the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the justice system.

South Africans don’t believe an inquiry will help

While South Africans agreed that gang violence needed to be addressed, many didn’t think an inquiry was the way to go.

Zimb Abwean asked:

“What good was ever achieved by commissions of inquiry in South Africa? We had TRC, Zondo commission and many other useless commissions.”

CD Van Der Hoven said:

“Commission of inquiry. Just a glorified name for draining money.”

Ree Modise suggested:

“It’s wasting money on inquiries. Law enforcement should go there to make sure there are no more gangs ever again in those flats.”

Josiah Sebuasengwe added:

“Commission of inquiry for what? While we have departments that can deal with those gangs. It’s just that we're led by fools from both the departments, SAPS and SANDF.”

Ramatee Ranala stated:

“We are still waiting for the state capture report to be implemented.”

Luvuyo Biyana exclaimed:

“Hayi, no more commission. Just declare war on crime and make resources available.”

Teens killed in Cape Flats shooting

Briefly News reported that in December 2024 that two teenagers were murdered in a drive-by shooting on the Cape Flats.

A 13-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy were gunned down in the street in the suburb of Lavender Hill.

South Africans were saddened by the news, as it was the latest in a string of gang-related violence in Cape Town.

Source: Briefly News