PROJECT: GANGSTERISM IN THE WESTERN CAPE (PART 1)
- Isabel Spies
- Oct 15
- 5 min read
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The roots of gangsterism in South Africa trace back to the Apartheid era, when legislation such as the Group Areas Act
of 1950 forcibly removed Black, Coloured, and Indian communities from economically viable urban centres to underdeveloped peripheral areas. These forced removals created environments characterised by poverty, unemployment, and social fragmentation, conditions that became fertile ground for the formation of gangs.
For many displaced youths, gangs offered a sense of belonging, identity, and protection in the face of systemic oppression and social instability. Initially, gang culture took hold in urban areas and mining compounds before spreading and becoming institutionalised within South Africa’s prison system.
Despite the end of apartheid in 1994, the structural legacies of poverty, inequality, and inadequate housing continue
to drive gang proliferation in townships—particularly in the Cape Flats region of the Western Cape.
EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF GANGS:
MINING COMPOUNDS (EARLY 20TH CENTURY):
The origins of organised gang structures can be traced to the mining compounds established in the early 1900s.
Migrant labourers, segregated and subjected to harsh conditions, formed tightly knit groups for protection and survival, laying the foundation for future gang systems.
PRISON SYSTEM AND THE PASS LAWS:
Under apartheid’s Pass Laws, thousands of Black South Africans were arrested for minor offences such as not carrying identification documents.
The mass incarceration that followed led to the spread of gang hierarchies within prisons, entrenching criminal networks that persisted beyond incarceration.
NONGOLOZA MATHEBULA:
A pivotal figure in early gang history, Nongoloza Mathebula (born Mzuzephi Mathebula) is often credited with establishing the first structured prison gang—the Ninevites—in the early 20th century.
His leadership and moral “code” inspired later prison-based organisations such as the 26s, 27s, and 28s, collectively referred to as the Numbers Gangs, which remain influential in South African prisons and communities today.
THE WESTERN CAPE: SOUTH AFRICA'S GANG CAPITAL
According to SAPS Crime Statistics released in February 2025, gangsterism remains the single largest driver of murder and violent crime in the Western Cape, particularly in Cape Town’s townships on the Cape Flats.
The problem is long-standing, complex, and multi-dimensional, rooted in structural inequality and sustained by organised criminal economies.
Key contributing factors include:
Violent turf wars between rival factions linked to prison gangs.
The proliferation of illegal firearms, many sourced from police evidence stores or cross-border smuggling.
Organised crime networks that extract money from communities through extortion and protection rackets.
Socio-economic deprivation, including poverty, marginalisation, and limited legitimate opportunities for youth.
Weak implementation and coordination of violence-prevention and law-enforcement strategies.
STATISTICAL OVERVIEW (2024–2025):
Between October and December 2024, 263 of 294 gang-related murders recorded nationally occurred in the Western Cape, accounting for 90% of the country’s total.
The Western Cape consistently records the highest provincial murder rate, averaging more than 40 murders per 100,000 people—well above the national average.
Firearm-related murders constitute more than 70% of all homicides in the province.
Investigations by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and civil society organisations have documented:
Thefts of police evidence firearms from SAPS storerooms.
Illicit firearm flows are facilitated by corrupt officials and syndicates.
Critical policing shortages in high-risk precincts such as Nyanga, Delft, and Manenberg.
GEOGRAPHICAL AND ORGANISATIONAL LANDSCAPE:
PRIMARY GEOGRAPHY:
Gang violence is spatially concentrated in the Cape Flats, including areas such as Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Delft, Nyanga, Manenberg, Belhar, Philippi, and Hanover Park.
These areas are characterised by high unemployment rates (often above 35%), poor infrastructure, and limited access to public services.
KEY GROUPINGS:
Major gangs include:
The Americans, Hard Livings, Sexy Boys, Mongrels, and Junior Mafia, among others.
Many of these groups maintain links with prison gangs, particularly the 26s, 27s, and 28s, whose hierarchical codes continue to influence street-level structures.
Over time, these gangs have evolved into hybrid criminal enterprises, engaging in drug trafficking, extortion, contract killings, and corruption.
DRIVERS AND DYNAMICS OF VIOLENCE:
ILLICIT FIREARMS:
The easy availability of illegal guns sustains turf wars and mass shootings.
Stolen and smuggled firearms from police or military sources fuel the violence.
APARTHEID-ERA SPATIAL LEGACIES:
The forced removals of the 1950s–1970s created dense, segregated communities lacking economic infrastructure—ideal conditions for gang recruitment.
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT:
With youth unemployment exceeding 50% in many Cape Flats areas, gangs offer economic survival, status, and security.
ORGANISED CRIME MODELS:
Gangs operate as structured businesses, profiting from narcotics, counterfeit goods, extortion, construction site racketeering, and even political patronage.
POLICING AND INTELLIGENCE DEFICITS:
Chronic understaffing and inadequate intelligence capacity in key precincts hinder long-term suppression of organised gangs.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS:
HIGH MORTALITY AND TRAUMA:
Gang-related violence accounts for a disproportionate number of deaths and firearm injuries, contributing to ongoing psychological trauma within affected communities.
ECONOMIC STAGNATION:
Small businesses, informal traders, and local entrepreneurs face extortion and intimidation, discouraging investment and perpetuating poverty.
INSTITUTIONAL STRAIN:
Schools, clinics, and municipal services are frequently disrupted by gang shootings, placing additional strain on already fragile social systems.
Civil society groups and local NGOs continue to advocate for community-driven interventions, including youth mentorship, employment programmes, and gun control reforms.
However, analysts warn that without sustained government commitment, improved intelligence, and socio-economic investment, the cycle of violence is unlikely to abate.
Gangsterism in the Western Cape remains a deeply entrenched socio-economic and criminal crisis.
While law enforcement alone cannot resolve the issue, multi-sectoral collaboration—
combining policing, social development, education, and economic inclusion—is essential.
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