As gang violence continues to devastate communities on the Cape Flats, concerns have been raised over recent remarks by Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia, who conceded that law enforcement is not yet in a position to defeat gangsterism in the Western Cape.
Cachalia made the comments while chairing a crime-focused engagement with stakeholders, acknowledging the scale and persistence of organised crime in the province.
Speaking during a visit to crime-ravaged Nelson Mandela Bay, he warned that violent gangs remain on a deadly trajectory.
“I do not believe we are currently in a position to defeat this crime,” Cachalia said.
“They are on a killing spree in the Western Cape, with a similar pattern emerging in the Eastern Cape.”
The minister further noted ongoing challenges surrounding the deployment and effectiveness of specialised anti-gang units, describing organised crime in both provinces as a threat that authorities still need to confront decisively.
“I have made some observations, and I have indicated that the challenge of organised crime in the Western and Eastern Cape is one we still have to confront,” he said.
The remarks have drawn criticism from community safety leaders, who say such admissions deepen anxiety among residents already living in fear.
Speaking to VOC News, Chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, Abie Isaacs, expressed frustration at what he described as a continued lack of a clear plan to address gang violence.
“We’ve noted, for the second time, that the minister has indicated there seems to be no plan to deal with gang violence what we call urban terror,” Isaacs said.
He called on the national security cluster to urgently develop a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to combat gang-related crime on the Cape Flats, where shootings and retaliatory attacks have become a daily reality.
Isaacs also commented on Western Cape Premier Alan Winde’s intention to lobby the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) for a state of disaster declaration.
“That was one of our demands as the Cape Town Safety Forum just a couple of months ago,” Isaacs said.
“We believe a state of disaster must be declared on the Cape Flats as a matter of urgency.”
VOC News
Photo: VOCfm/Stockfile
