A seminar on gangsterism and social dysfunction at the University of the Western Cape heard that police alone cannot tackle the issue effectively. Stakeholders from civil society, police, government and communities discussed its roots, consequences and responses. Former Western Cape detectives head Jeremy Veary called for empowering law enforcement alongside societal fixes.
The Gangsterism and Social Dysfunction seminar, hosted by the University of the Western Cape, brought together key stakeholders including civil society organisations, police, government representatives and community members. They reflected on the roots, consequences and possible responses to gangsterism in South Africa. Published reports from the event on 18 March 2026 highlight that police alone cannot deal effectively with the sub-culture of gangs and its evolution into organised groups today. This sub-culture, linked to 'numbers gangs', has persisted for around 200 years. Jeremy Veary, former head of Western Cape detectives, stated that law enforcement agencies must be empowered but stressed broader interventions are needed. He said: “The sub-culture of the numbers of gangs has been around with us for 200 years and it cannot be addressed by policing on its own, but it makes our gangs as organised as they are today. When you have a boy of 15 telling you he wants to grow up to be a 28 general, then you realise that education has failed, churches have failed, every form of model education has failed. So, those are challenges that need to be addressed.” The discussion underscores failures in education, religious institutions and role models as contributing factors.