The FW de Klerk Foundation has called on the government to up its game in the fight against gangsterism and declare it a national crisis.
The foundation was reacting to recent gang-related killings, where six people were killed and three others injured in Reiger Park, Boksburg.
So far, the government was not doing enough to address this problem, said Christo van der Rheede, executive director of the foundation.
Gangsterism is ‘national crisis’
“Indeed, it’s a national crisis. Serious interventions are required. A holistic assessment and approach should be followed. It’s a deeply entrenched problem. And it’s inter-generational.
“Interventions should include a clampdown on gang leaders and gangs and removing every single gun from them,” said Van der Rheede.
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“A range of long-term economic, social, educational, cultural, spiritual and other life-changing interventions is even more important.
“Affected coloured communities must, however, take ownership of the interventions and be empowered to prevent any attempts to lure their kids into gangs.”
Serious and decisive interventions were required to break the self-perpetuating cycle of violence, murder and idealisation of gangsterism, Van der Rheede said.
Ongoing crisis with limited interventions
“I deeply feel for the young people involved in gangsterism and the devastating impact it has on their families and communities. ”
University of Limpopo’s Witness Maluleke said gangsterism was an ongoing crisis, cutting across all South African provinces, with limited interventions.
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“The magnitude of this crisis is mountainous and it will take inter- and multidisciplinary holistic approaches from different public and private organisations.
“We are not winning the war against gangsterism, and the responsible stakeholders are collectively failing to curb it.
“Its increasing nature showcases existing limitations of preventing this scourge and more strategies should be geared towards addressing this pressing issue,” said Maluleke.
All violent crime should be declared public security threat – IRS
Chad Thomas, CEO of IRS Forensic Investigations, said all violent crime should be declared a public security threat and be treated as a national priority.
There were multiple violent crimes that needed to be declared a national crisis to unlock further funding and resources to effectively contain, disrupt and dismantle criminal syndicates, not just gangsterism, Thomas said.
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“The fight against all organised and violent crime can lead to a significant reduction if a few steps are taken, such as declaring investigation of organised crime a national priority, capacitate crime intelligence to run effective undercover infiltration projects, increase the number of specialised prosecutors and courts, decentralise investigations as being a purely Saps role and amend legislation to allow provincial and municipal traffic police and metropolitan police departments to have additional powers of investigation.”
An overhaul in Saps leadership, which will change the attitude on the ground from committed police officers, can also help in the fight against crime, Thomas said.
“How do you expect an honest and capable police officer to be motivated when he knows that some of his top bosses are corrupt?”
Gang-related killing rampant in Western Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga
Willem Els of the Institute for Security Studies said it was a strong action to declare something a national emergency, especially if it’s only happening or focused on three provinces.
Suspected gang-related killings have been rampant in especially in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. The scourge has been ongoing and the current strategies were not working, Els said.
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Strategies were implemented around 1998 but, so far, they have not yielded any results.
“Maybe it’s time for a new approach, so if it fits a national crisis, try it, but government seems to be reactive rather than proactive,” he said.
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