President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed profound sadness over the deaths of at least 26 people in violent incidents on the Cape Flats in Cape Town since last Friday. He condemned the murders and called for stronger community partnerships with law enforcement to combat the rising crime. Amid ongoing turmoil in South Africa's police structures, Ramaphosa urged expanded efforts to address gangsterism and drug trafficking.
President Cyril Ramaphosa voiced his 'sadness' on January 19 following a weekend of violence on the Cape Flats, where at least 26 people were killed, including 13-year-old Ashtin Brooks, who was shot while playing soccer in Seawinds on Friday. The Presidency's statement highlighted the fear gripping communities and called for residents to share information with police, even about neighbors or relatives, to aid arrests. It noted that the South African Police Service (SAPS) had apprehended 100 gang leaders and 106 runners in the past three months.
Ramaphosa assured affected areas of increased police visibility and stronger enforcement to stabilize communities, while balancing short-term responses with long-term socio-economic interventions. He cautioned against hasty army deployment to gang hotspots, stating soldiers are trained to 'shoot to kill' and do not investigate crimes. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia expressed less optimism, saying, 'I do not believe that we are currently in a position to defeat these gangs.'
The violence extends beyond the Cape Flats. On Tuesday, two people were fatally shot outside Booysens Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg. Wednesday saw five men killed outside an Atteridgeville tuck shop in Pretoria, and on Thursday, four teachers died from gunshot wounds at Ntabankulu Primary School in the Eastern Cape.
This comes amid a law enforcement scandal, with parliamentary inquiries revealing divisions. Suspended Ekurhuleni metro police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi admitted accepting money from organized crime figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala. Former Independent Police Investigative Directorate head Robert McBride accused KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of disrupting probes into corruption allegations against former acting national commissioner Khomotso Phahlane. McBride also testified that Mandla Mahlangu, an investigator murdered in 2020, had made incriminating statements about a committee witness.
These revelations underscore infiltration by drug cartels into the criminal justice system, politics, and private security, as alleged by Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi last July. The Western Cape, a hub of gangsterism rooted in apartheid-era displacements, saw 94 murders over 72 hours in 2024 and around 31 in a single day, per leaked figures. Ramaphosa engaged National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola to intensify anti-crime efforts during the ANC National Executive Committee Lekgotla in Boksburg.
