Civil Society Calls for Cape Flats Gang Violence To Be Declared a National Disaster

• Civil society and religious groups demand action as gang violence in Cape Flats escalates, prompting calls for military intervention
• Parliament will launch a commission of inquiry to investigate the rising violence affecting communities in the Western Cape
• Police admit challenges in curbing violence as fatalities and injuries from gang-related incidents continue to rise, as the Western Cape Premier is expected to meet Police Minister Firoz Cachalia

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

WESTERN CAPE — Civil society groups, religious organisations, and members of the public have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy the army to intervene in the violence on the Cape Flats.

According to eNCA, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is expected to meet with the Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, to discuss the way forward on how to address violence in the province. The two will also discuss whether violence in the province should be declared a national disaster or a state of emergency.

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Alan Winde to meet with Firoz Cachalia

Speaking to eNCA, the province's Police Commissioner General Thembisile Patekile said that the number of gangs that were taken down during different operations would have deterred gang violence. However, it may have achieved the opposite effect. Patekile said that the number of gang leaders who have been put in prison did not result in a decrease in violent shootings.

Patekile said that he would have liked to retire as a police officer, having dealt a severe blow to gangsterism in the province. He admitted that he did not achieve this goal. eNCA also spoke to Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, who confirmed that Parliament is still working on the terms of reference for the commission of inquiry into gang violence.

Violence in the Cape Flats

Residents of the Cape Flats have been battling with gang violence and gun violence in their communities. In the festive season of 2025 alone, over 74,300 people were admitted to Western Cape hospitals amid a spike in violence. A total of 254 people were treated for gunshot wounds.

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In the first three weeks of 2026, 195 people were murdered as a result of gang violence in the province. Atotal of 78 people were killed between 11 and 17 January. The GOOD party slammed the government and accused it of not bringing together resources from local, provincial, and national authorities to fight violence in the province as per an agreement signed with civil society and various stakeholders.

Firoz Cachalia speaks on gang violence in the Western Cape

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Cachalia discussed gang violence in the province. He admitted that the government is not in control of the situation.

Cachalia visited Nelson Mandela Bay on 21 January 2026. He said that law enforcement is overwhelmed by the scale and brutality of organised crime in both provinces.

Source: Briefly News