PROJECT: GANGSTERISM AND NATIONAL STRATEGIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSE (PART 4)

Isabel Spies
Oct 21
6 min read

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Gangsterism in South Africa is no longer confined to localised street violence —

it has evolved into a multi-layered national crisis that intersects with organised crime,

corruption, and socio-economic decay.

In the past decade, the South African government has launched multiple strategies to address the issue,

including the National Anti-Gang Strategy (NAGS), Operation Shanela, and the deployment of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU).

Despite these interventions, violent crime rates remain high, and gang structures continue to adapt,

diversify, and entrench themselves within vulnerable communities.

NATIONAL ANTI-GANG STRATEGY (NAGS)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

The National Anti-Gang Strategy, formally adopted in 2018 and revised in 2022, provides the framework for a coordinated national response to gangsterism.
It aims to integrate intelligence, law enforcement, social development, and justice mechanisms under a unified policy.
Its primary objectives include:
- Reducing gang-related murders and firearm crimes.
- Dismantling organised criminal structures through targeted intelligence and prosecution.
- Enhancing cooperation between SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and community stakeholders.
- Rehabilitation and prevention, focusing on at-risk youth and ex-offenders.

OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE:

The strategy operates through provincial anti-gang task teams, supported by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), Crime Intelligence, and Forensic Services.
However, implementation has been uneven across provinces due to budgetary constraints, corruption, and fragmented leadership.
The Western Cape received the most resources, while provinces like the Eastern Cape and Free State remain severely under-resourced.

THE SAPS ANTI-GANG UNIT (AGU)

FORMATION AND MANDATE:

Established in 2018 following severe public pressure over rising gang murders in the Western Cape, the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) was tasked with conducting high-risk operations, firearm recovery, and intelligence-driven arrests targeting gang leaders and drug suppliers.
The AGU is currently active in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal, focusing on high-density areas such as Manenberg, Delft, Westbury, and Inanda.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Between 2022 and 2024, the AGU reported the seizure of over 3,000 illegal firearms and arrests of several high-profile gang leaders.
Collaborative operations with the Hawks led to the exposure of corrupt police officers supplying weapons to gang syndicates.
Partnerships with the Defence Force (SANDF) under Operation Shanela provided short-term reductions in shootings in several Western Cape precincts.

LIMITATIONS AND CRITICISMS:

Despite operational successes, the AGU faces severe limitations:
- Staff shortages and burnout: Units often operate below minimum capacity.
- Limited intelligence coordination: Weak information-sharing between SAPS divisions allows gangs to regroup.
- Judicial bottlenecks: Cases collapse due to poor evidence collection, witness intimidation, and prosecutorial delays.
- Corruption within law enforcement: Reports of officers leaking operational plans or selling confiscated firearms undermine the unit’s credibility.
A 2024 Parliamentary Oversight Report concluded that while the AGU is a “necessary intervention,” its impact remains localised and unsustainable without structural reform.

OPERATION SHANELA AND INTEGRATED LAW-ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS:

Launched in May 2023, Operation Shanela represents a national crime-prevention drive combining visible policing, roadblocks, and intelligence operations targeting organised crime.
By February 2025, SAPS reported:
- Over 150,000 arrests nationwide, including 5,800 for illegal firearm possession.
- Recovery of 8,400 firearms and over R2 billion worth of narcotics.
- Joint operations with metro police, SANDF, and private security sectors.
While these statistics demonstrate broad enforcement reach, critics note that mass arrests often fail to yield lasting convictions, and root causes of gangsterism remain unaddressed.
Community feedback further highlights heavy-handed policing, limited follow-up investigations, and fear among residents who feel caught between gangs and police corruption.

THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY (NPA):

The NPA’s Priority Crimes Litigation Unit and Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) play a central role in dismantling gang economies through financial disruption and criminal prosecution.
Notable successes include:
- The freezing of R75 million in gang-linked assets in the Western Cape (2023).
- The prosecution of drug trafficking and extortion syndicates in Gauteng and KZN.
- Collaboration with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) to trace money laundering networks.
However, the NPA faces witness protection failures, case backlogs, and shortages of specialised prosecutors, which weaken long-term deterrence. Conviction rates for organised crime remain below 20% nationally, according to the 2024 Justice Department Annual Report.

CIVIL SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS:

In areas where state capacity is weak, civil society organisations, faith-based groups, and neighbourhood watches have stepped in to restore safety.
Examples include:
- The Hanover Park Safety Forum and Mitchells Plain United Residents’ Association (MURA) coordinate community patrols and youth mentorship.
- NGOs such as Ceasefire SA, Mothers for Justice, and Guns Free South Africa which run conflict mediation, trauma counselling, and disarmament campaigns.
- In Gauteng, Westbury Youth Forum and Eldorado Park Community Policing Forum work closely with local police and private security to combat drug sales and gang recruitment.
These interventions show positive localised results, especially where residents participate in intelligence sharing and early warning networks.

PRIVATE SECURITY AND SPECIALISED INVESTIGATIVE PARTNERSHIPS:

South Africa’s private security industry—one of the largest in the world—plays a growing role in supporting investigations, providing evidence, and securing high-risk zones.
Specialised private investigation firms, including Specialised Security Services (SSS) under Mr. Mike Bolhuis, have repeatedly assisted in:
- Tracking organised syndicates,
- Recovering stolen firearms,
- Providing intelligence on gang-linked extortion and fraud networks, and
- Supporting victims and witnesses facing threats from criminal organisations.
These collaborations have highlighted how public-private intelligence sharing can significantly enhance crime prevention and investigation outcomes when properly coordinated and regulated.

KEY CHALLENGES IN THE NATIONAL ANTI-GANG RESPONSE:

Despite multiple efforts, several systemic barriers continue to weaken South Africa’s anti-gang response:

FRAGMENTED INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION:
- The SAPS, NPA, and intelligence agencies often work in silos.
CORRUPTION AND COMPROMISED LEADERSHIP:
- Criminal infiltration within law enforcement erodes trust and operational integrity.
INEFFECTIVE WITNESS PROTECTION:
- Key witnesses frequently withdraw or are murdered before trial.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEGLECT:
- Without addressing unemployment and housing crises, gangs continue to fill the void.
INCONSISTENT COMMUNITY TRUST:
- Many residents distrust the police and fear retaliation from both gangs and corrupt officers.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

To meaningfully confront gangsterism, South Africa requires a comprehensive national reset in its strategy.

The following reforms are essential:

INTEGRATED INTELLIGENCE COORDINATION:
- Establish a single multi-agency command centre linking SAPS, Hawks, SSA, and NPA intelligence functions.
TARGETED SOCIO-ECONOMIC INVESTMENT:
- Expand youth employment and vocational training programmes in high-risk townships.
FIREARM CONTROL AND TRACING:
- Digitise firearm registries and strengthen oversight over SAPS evidence stores.
CORRUPTION ACCOUNTABILITY:
- Introduce independent anti-corruption oversight for police and justice officials.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS:
- Institutionalise community safety forums as formal partners in local policing structures.
VICTIM AND WITNESS PROTECTION REFORM:
- Strengthen the Witness Protection Unit and create emergency relocation mechanisms.

South Africa’s struggle with gangsterism is not merely a policing problem—it is a reflection of deeper social fragmentation,

state weakness, and economic exclusion. Law enforcement remains indispensable,

but sustainable peace will depend on prevention, education, rehabilitation, and social renewal.

The success of anti-gang initiatives will ultimately hinge on trust, transparency, and long-term commitment from government,

the justice system, private security partners, and communities themselves.

Until the structural roots of inequality, corruption, and impunity are dismantled, gangsterism will continue to reinvent itself—shifting from the streets to the boardrooms, from local turf wars to transnational criminal economies.

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