Thursday, 10 Jul 2025
Subscribe
Africa News
  • Africa News
  • Global News

    Nairobi Businesses Count Losses as Protests Disrupt City for Second Day

    By News Desk

    Nigeria’s Agriculture Ministry Urges Prayer to Combat Food Shortages, Sparking Outrage

    By News Desk

    Trump Uses Misidentified Congo Image to Push False Narrative of White Farmer Massacres in South Africa

    By News Desk
    Guinea's Prominent Opposition leader Cellou Delrin Diallo

    Guinean Opposition Decries International Silence as Junta Tightens Grip

    By News Desk
    The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina

    AfDB Chief Adesina: “Africa is Tired of Being Poor,” Calls for End to Raw Commodity Exports

    By News Desk
    Ambassador Hirut Zemene, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the AU and UNECA

    Ethiopia Begins Three-Year Term on African Union Peace and Security Council

    By News Desk
  • Elections
  • Events
  • Opinion

    Early Polls Suggest APC Could Challenge SLPP’s Hold in Sierra Leone’s Next Election

    By News Desk

    DR Congo and Rwanda Push for Ceasefire in Doha Talks

    By News Desk

    US Support of UN Organizations Must Remain Unabated

    By Dr. Alon Ben-Meir

    President Mahama of Ghana: 150 days in office (The Economy)

    By News Desk

    Canada Poised to Win Trade Spats with U.S., Foreign Affairs Minister Confidently Asserts

    By News Desk

    African Cardinals Emerge as Potential Successors to the late Pope Francis

    By News Desk
  • Jobs
  • 🔥
  • Blog
  • Global News
  • Afican News
  • Events
  • Elections
  • Opinion
  • Job
  • African News
  • redbull
  • Global
Font ResizerAa
Africa NewsAfrica News
  • Africa News
  • Global
  • Elections
  • Events
  • Opinion
  • Jobs
Search
  • Personalized
    • My Feed
    • My Saves
    • My Interests
    • History
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2025 African News Today. All Rights Reserved.
Africa News > Blog > Afican News > Gangsterism Grips South African Cities, Leaving Young Victims in the Crossfire
Afican NewsGlobal News

Gangsterism Grips South African Cities, Leaving Young Victims in the Crossfire

News Desk
Last updated: June 23, 2025 5:20 am
News Desk
Share
Three decades after the end of apartheid the legacy of the system, which kept people who were not white separate and poor, lives on in the Cape Flats
SHARE

By Daniel Niyongabo

Cape Town, South Africa – South Africa’s major cities are battling a surge in gang violence, with innocent young people increasingly caught in the deadly crossfire. In Cape Town, the Cape Flats area has become synonymous with gang warfare, leaving countless families to endure nightmares despite assurances from the police of increased patrols.

The statistics paint a grim picture. The Western Cape province, where the Cape Flats are located, consistently reports the highest number of gang-related murders in South Africa, according to official police figures. While the government recognizes this as a priority, efforts to combat the violence have yielded limited success. President Cyril Ramaphosa established a special unit in 2018 and even deployed the army briefly the following year, but the killings continue unabated.

Experts attribute the problem’s persistence to a complex interplay of historical factors and socio-economic conditions. “There’s a whole history and generations of people who have been born into these gangs,” explains Gareth Newham, head of the Justice and Violence Prevention programme at the Institute for Security Studies in Johannesburg. He emphasizes that gangs thrive in neglected and underdeveloped areas, filling the void left by the state. “The gangs provide a form of social structure that actually provides services to the communities that the state doesn’t. They provide food for homes, money for electricity, transport, funerals, and even school fees.”

This deep entrenchment within the community makes it incredibly difficult for law enforcement to dismantle them. “They can use non-gang members’ houses to store drugs and store weapons,” adds Newham.

However, amidst the despair, there are individuals bravely working to address the issue. Fifteen kilometers from Wesbank, in Hanover Park, Pastor Craven Engel dedicates his life to mediating gang conflicts and stopping the violence fueled by the lucrative drug trade. His approach involves detection, interruption, and changing mindsets.

“Hanover Park doesn’t really have an economy to speak of,” says Pastor Engel. “The bulk of the economy comes out of the drug culture. That’s the biggest economy.” He argues that the legacy of apartheid, compounded by generational trauma manifesting as drug addiction and family breakdown, contributes to the problem.

“The substance [drug] creates unemployment, the substance creates robbery, it creates gang fights because of turfs. So, the substance sits in the middle of so many of the atrocities within the community,” he explains, estimating that around 70% of local children are living with some form of addiction. In this community of around 50,000, shootings and stabbings are a daily reality, disproportionately impacting young people who are both perpetrators and victims.

Mr. Newham warns that a solely policing-based approach is insufficient. “You might arrest people for being gang members, for having guns and for shootings and murders. They will go to prison, but then they get replaced by younger members. And that creates a whole different set of problems. They’re more likely to get into fights over territory and turf.”

The emotional toll is immense. “How does a kid get shot seven times in his head or three times in his back? How does a stray bullet hit a kid?” asks Pastor Engel, his voice filled with anguish.

Despite the daunting challenges, Pastor Engel tirelessly works to broker peace. He constantly calls community leaders and gang kingpins, attempting to de-escalate conflicts. While being interviewed by BBC Africa Eye, he successfully negotiated a ceasefire between two warring gangs, even reaching the jailed leader of one faction.

Even from behind bars, the threat of violence remains. “If I want something to happen then it still happens. Do you understand pastor?” the gang boss declared over the phone. “But I can tell you one thing. I’m a guy that likes to counter if I come under fire.”

Despite the threats, Pastor Engel remains relentless. He is a constant presence in his community, whether visiting parishioners or addressing his congregation. He is particularly concerned about the increasing recruitment of young children into gangs.

“I think that what makes it very, very terrible now is there are more children involved in the gangs, because gangs are recruiting between the ages of eight and 15 years old,” he says. The fight to protect these children and dismantle the cycle of violence continues, driven by the unwavering determination of community leaders like Pastor Engel.

Share This Article
Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Ethiopian President Taye Leads Delegation to U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Luanda
Next Article Political Tension and Arson Trial Hamper Investment in Resource-Rich Liberia
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!

Our commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned us the trust of a vast audience. Stay ahead with real-time updates on the latest events, trends.
FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
LinkedInFollow
MediumFollow
QuoraFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad image

Popular Posts

UN Envoy Holds Talks with Congolese Rebels, Claims Desire for Peaceful Solution

By Simba Munyua Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo - The head of the United Nations peacekeeping…

By News Desk

Nigeria’s Political and Military Cartel Accused of Undermining Nation’s Prosperity, Holding Back Africa

By Abu Hassan LAGOS, Nigeria - A growing chorus of voices within Nigeria and internationally are…

By News Desk

Ethiopian Airlines announces direct Addis Ababa – Conakry flights

By News Desk

You Might Also Like

Current and past West African leaders assembled in Abuja, Nigeria in 2024 for an ECOWAS Conference
Afican NewsBlog

Current and Past West African Leaders Urged to Prioritize Domestic Policies for Economic Relief

By News Desk
Monrovia, the capital of Liberia
Afican NewsGlobal News

Liberia’s Economic Landscape Raises Concerns Over Foreign Dominance

By News Desk
Shirley Botchwey Takes Office as First African Woman Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
Global News

History Made: Shirley Botchwey Takes Office as First African Woman Secretary-General of the Commonwealth

By News Desk
Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul
EventsGlobal News

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Jailed Pending Trial on Corruption Charges, Sparking Outrage

By News Desk
Africa News
Facebook Twitter Youtube Medium

About US


Africa News Today is your trusted source for the latest news, stories, and insights from the African continent. We are committed to providing accurate, unbiased, and comprehensive coverage of the diverse events shaping Africa’s future.

Top Categories
  • Africa News
  • Global News
  • Elections
  • Events
  • Opinion
Usefull Links
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with US
  • Complaint
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Submit a Tip

© Africa News Today. All Rights Reserved | Powered By Website Wale

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?