Petition presented to parliament demanding action on gang violence in northern areas

The Herald

09-05-2025

Gang violence plaguing Nelson Mandela Bay's northern areas reached the national stage on Wednesday as a damning petition was presented to parliament's police portfolio committee, demanding urgent intervention to halt the bloodshed.
The petition, spearheaded by DA MPL and constituency leader Yusuf Cassim, outlined the brutal toll of gang warfare in the region and called for a multi-pronged national response.
Addressing the committee, Cassim asked for the deployment of elite detectives from across the country and the reinforcement of the Anti-Gang Unit.
He also asked for crime intelligence capabilities to be expanded and an investment to be made in surveillance technologies like drones, CCTV and ShotSpotter systems.
Senior SAPS officials, including police minister Senzo Mchunu, were present at the hearing, where Cassim detailed the grim statistics — more than 1,000 gang-related killings have been documented by Nelson Mandela Bay residents from 2019 to April 2025.
In 2024 alone, there were 244 killings, with August 2024 marking the deadliest month ever recorded.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, 148 gang-related shootings were reported — 114 in the northern areas — resulting in 62 deaths, 17 of them children.
More than 82 people were injured in the same period, including 28 children.
Between 2021 and 2023, the region suffered 361 gang-related shootings, with 319 occurring in the northern areas.
These attacks left 180 dead — including 22 children — and injured 181 more.
Attempted murder charges reached 227, the vast majority also in the northern areas.
Yet despite this grim tally, arrests remain shockingly low.
In the 2024/2025 financial year, only 19 arrests were made in 16 murder cases.
The petition also requested that the portfolio committee conduct more frequent oversight visits and engage directly with affected communities.
Committee chair Ian Cameron assured the hearing that the petition would be treated with the seriousness it demands.
In response, the committee undertook to draft a formal report containing actionable recommendations.
Once adopted, the report will be tabled in the National Assembly and carry the weight of a parliamentary resolution — binding on Mchunu to implement.
'This hearing was a milestone,' Cassim said.
'Now comes the test of follow-through.
'We will not rest until parliament's resolutions become tangible action in our communities.
'Section 12 of the constitution is clear: our people have the right to be free from all forms of violence.
'They deserve to feel safe in their own homes, on their streets, and in their schools.'
The Herald