Presidency Dismisses Calls to Declare State of Disaster in Western Cape, Backs Anti-gang Strategy
- The Presidency has responded to calls for a State of Disaster to be declared in the Western Cape
- The Democratic Alliance has blamed the government for starving the province of resources to fight crime
- The African National Congress believes that the DA should take accountability for the gang violence
- Speaking anonymously to Briefly News, a Cape Town resident explained why a State of Disaster should be declared
Source: Getty Images
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.
GAUTENG - The Presidency will not be declaring a State of Disaster in the Western Cape amid the rising gang violence.
The province has been plagued by gun violence, with fatal shootings being reported almost daily. With over 50 deaths recorded in October and November alone, and children among the victims, members of the Western Cape legislature called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a state of disaster in the province.
Presidency responds to growing crisis
In response to the growing levels of violence, the Presidency explained that the national security cluster was already implementing a coordinated anti-gang strategy. News24 reported that presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the security cluster needed to be given time to execute the plan.
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"All four provinces, Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, have major gang problems. The security cluster has finalised a comprehensive plan and has begun working on it. More work is being done to improve this plan, while the police have started the execution of the plan.
"So, we need to give the cluster the opportunity to execute this plan," he said.
What is the security cluster’s plan?
Deputy President Paul Mashatile recently announced the implementation of the National Anti-Gang Strategy, which was aimed at dismantling gang-related criminal networks. He said this would be done through intelligence gathering, proactive policing, community engagement, and collaboration with stakeholders.
He added that the strategy will focus on gang-related issues, including drug trafficking, shootings, and murders. It will also extend beyond just the Western Cape.
Speaking anonymously to Briefly News, a Cape Town resident explained why the presidency needed to do more.
"They need to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). There isn't enough police visibility, and innocent people are most affected. Children are being killed daily by stray bullets, even if they are in their own yards and homes."
Democratic Alliance blames the government for the issues
During the legislature sitting on Wednesday, 13 November 2025, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Deputy Chief Whip, Wendy Kaizer-Philander, tabled a motion calling for urgent reforms. She also accused the national government of starving the Western Cape of policing resources, adding that they were ignoring a crisis, which was claiming young lives daily.
"Detectives are overworked, intelligence is absent, and communities are left exposed," she stated.
Source: UGC
Benson Ngqentsu of the African National Congress (ANC) disputed this, saying that the DA needed to take responsibility for ‘the explosion of violent crime under their watch’.
The GOOD Party’s Brett Herron also criticised the DA for blaming the national government, saying that the party has governed the Western Cape for nearly 20 years. He argued that the children on the Cape Flats have been failed by all spheres of government, including local, provincial and national.
The ongoing gang violence remains a huge talking point in the country. The Acting Police Minister, Professor Firoz Cachalia, recently called on the gangs to stop fighting. The minister also ruled out the possibility of deploying the SANDF to the area.
Over 300 people were killed in August 2025
Briefly News reported that gang-related violence escalated in the Western Cape in August 2025 alone.
Over 300 people were murdered during the month, with some areas more severely affected than others.
Several experts shared their thoughts on the situation, highlighting what needed to change.
Source: Briefly News
