Latest news with #Anti-GangUnit
The South African
3 days ago
- The South African
SAPS Anti-gang unit attacked in Westbury
While patrolling the area of Westbury, members of the Anti-Gang Unit came under attack and had to run for cover. The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Fannie Masemola, has condemned the ambush on the AGU. 'The Anti-Gang Unit is a unit in the SAPS that is responsible for combatting gangs and gang related crime,' said national SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe. She said the crimes covered by the AGU include dealing and trafficking of drugs as well as gang related shootings and murders. The AGU is deployed in various hotspot areas that are plagued by gang activity in the different provinces, including Gauteng. Mathe said in the Gauteng province, the unit is deployed to areas such as Eldorado Park, Westbury, Moffatview, Southhills, Mohlakeng, Toekomsrus and Sophiatown. According to Mathe, on the afternoon of 3 June 2025, members of the anti-gang unit were patrolling in Westbury, while other members were conducting stop and searches along Steytler street. During the operation, they found a man in possession of drugs and he was immediately arrested. After the suspect was arrested, members of the community began mobilising themselves and threw rocks and bottles at police officers on the scene. The AGU had to retreat and tactically withdraw from the operation by running for cover. The incident was captured on camera. 'The community of Westbury have from time to time been complaining about the high levels of crime including drug dealing in the area,' said police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola . Masemola said they deployed the anti-gang unit to deal specifically with crime pertaining to drug dealing. He expressed disappointment in the community for attacking the police when they take charge and enforce the law. The police commissioner said he cannot allow such an incident to repeat itself. He pleaded with the community to appreciate, support and work with the police and not attack them. 'We cannot and will not tolerate this lawlessness. Our members will continue to discharge their duties without fear or favour, ' said Masemola. Mathe confirmed that no police officer or police property was damaged during the attack. She attributed this to members tactically withdrawing from the danger by discharging a warning shot. General Masemola also encouraged members of the AGU to not be deterred by the incident. He said they should continue preventing and combatting gang violence in the area without fear or favour. DO YOU THINK GANG VIOLENCE THRIVES BECAUSE OF COMMUNITY PROTECTION? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Daily Maverick
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
André Lincoln — from Mandela's protector to anti-gang pioneer, leaving a legacy of resilience
Retired top cop André Lincoln died on 30 May 2025 at the age of 63. He arguably had one of the most tumultuous careers in the history of the South African Police Service. What he leaves behind is not just a legacy of controversy, but of resilience and perseverance. 'Please remember we still have lots left to do.' These are the words André Lincoln, a retired policeman, wrote a few months ago when signing a copy of a book framed around his life. Lincoln, a married father of five, died in Cape Town on Friday, 30 May 2025. He was 63. Before Lincoln retired in 2021, he had a remarkable career in the South African Police Service that stretched over decades. He headed the Anti-Gang Unit in the country's gangsterism epicentre, the Western Cape. Years earlier, he was convicted of crimes of which he was later acquitted — Lincoln always maintained he had been framed because investigations he was conducting were causing panic among figures in the government who were up to no good. Opinions about him over the years were somewhat split — despite his acquittal, some individuals peddled the idea that he was criminal, while others believe he was still being maliciously targeted. Lincoln, when detailing his past, said he was effectively the first victim of State Capture in democratic South Africa. Before his time as a police officer, Lincoln was assigned to protect the democratic country's first president, Nelson Mandela, and before that he was an ANC intelligence operative taking on the apartheid regime. Lincoln recently said he was hellbent on trying to ensure that young children had decent role models. The country's trajectory disheartened him, he distanced himself from individuals linked to the state whom he had spent time with during earlier years, and he wanted a better South Africa, saying we must push for it. That is perhaps the legacy he now leaves behind. This journalist wrote a book, Man Alone: Mandela's top cop – exposing South Africa's ceaseless sabotage, that tracked Lincoln's life as this country's political arena shifted. It was published in November last year, and Lincoln signed my copy. Part of the message he penned says: 'Please remember we still have lots left to do.' This is an extract from the book: Man Alone André Edward Lincoln was born in the city of Mahikeng in South Africa's North West province on 28 October 1961 to devoutly Catholic parents, Reginald and Wilma. The two met in Mahikeng and later got married there in October 1960. They had three children, Lincoln and two daughters. Before 1994, Reggie was involved in underground MK activities — he'd helped smuggle recruits from Mahikeng to Lobatse in Botswana. Wilma, on the other hand, wanted to distract her husband from politics and protect her son from it. So she convinced Reginald to move to Cape Town (where he had gone to high school) to try to sever ties with political matters. This plan backfired. Spectacularly. Lincoln's footsteps matched his dad's. He and Reggie obviously share genes — Lincoln looks a lot like his father. And the two also shared deep foundational bonds. Aside from his MK activities, Reggie became a motor mechanic and had a workshop in the Cape Town suburb of Athlone, where Lincoln spent long periods next to him. Reggie also enjoyed sports such as soccer, cricket and, most notably, karate. He became a sensei, later spending his evenings and Saturdays teaching. Those who experienced his mentoring recalled how he taught students and those around him that everyone was born equal. Reggie, to them, truly understood and practised ubuntu – part of a Zulu phrase meaning 'I am, because you are.' Reggie was no ordinary sensei. He'd trained in Okinawa, Japan, the birthplace of karate. (When he retired from the sport in his late 70s, he was graded a sixth dan in Okinawa, which is a very high rank.) On home soil, Reggie dealt with issues like poverty and hunger through the sport. Out of his own pocket, he was said to have created a dojo first in the Cape Town suburb of Salt River, and then in Maitland. Reggie had also coached at a primary school on Robben Island — where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 years; these were training sessions for the workers and officials (and their children) based there. He taught timeless karate prescripts: 'To strive for the perfection of character. To defend the path of truth. To foster the spirit of effort. To honour the principles of etiquette. To guard against impetuous courage.' These were likely the lessons Reggie instilled in Lincoln, who also excelled at karate. A primary school friend of Lincoln's said that Reggie had been the sensei at a karate school both he and Lincoln attended from a young age – 'I think that's where André got his discipline from.' Indeed, Lincoln achieved a grading of fifth dan in Japan in 1992. In the years after that, figures linked to underworld investigations recalled that Reggie was an impenetrable karate master whom they respected. It was his son they had issues with. Lincoln has textured memories of his father. 'His life, his influence, his energy, are inextricably linked to mine,' Lincoln recalled. 'I'm grateful that I'm becoming a more fully realised human being. A more caring, compassionate and empathetic person because of my dad.' Lincoln does not believe that money, possessions, or professional success quantifies a person. He said of his father: 'The true measure of a man is how much love he gives, how selflessly he shares whatever he can to help others, how consistently he lifts those around him with a kind word, a funny joke, a compliment, a humble ear, or the very shoes off his feet. By this measure my dad was immeasurable.' Lincoln also remembered Reggie as the most 'sincerely unselfish' person he had ever met, with no attachment to material goods. 'He would literally give you the clothes he was wearing; this became abundantly clear to us as children when he would always see to himself last and Mom and us first.' In 1974, at the age of 13, Lincoln was recruited into the ANC by Brian Williams, a former trade union leader who became the first head of the Labour Department in the Western Cape post apartheid, and whom Lincoln now describes as his mentor. A tender teen, Lincoln was effectively being trained to fight apartheid. He was being ushered towards MK — and towards becoming a child soldier. During an informal conversation with me, one of Lincoln's associates explained that theirs was a generation that lost out on vast tracts of childhood. They were reared to fight for liberation and against racism, and did not have the chance to have other children's experiences. Playtime was cut short. Toys were exchanged for guns, bullets or makeshift weapons. They were under immeasurable stress, even though they may not have understood it at the time. Those children had to defend themselves, a country, and the children they'd perhaps have one day. Lincoln, the child undergoing a baptism of political fire, attended St John's Roman Catholic School in the Cape Town suburb of Kensington. Of his time as a young boy, Lincoln, with a naughty look in his eyes, says, 'When I was at school I was afraid of only two things — the Security Branch… and my mother.' By 1980, aged 19, Lincoln was part of the ANC's national tactical unit. In 1982, still following in his dad's footsteps, Lincoln joined MK as part of a cell led by Tony Yengeni, now a former ANC chief whip, who gave him a crash course in underground warfare in an abandoned classroom in Kensington. Lincoln received further military training in Zimbabwe and Angola, and later worked in the MK information wing. By 1989, he worked on a campaign that involved marches and other acts of defiance by organisations that the apartheid government had banned. An informant of his would later recall that Lincoln drew strength and motivation from anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko's words: 'Black man, you're on your own.' Lincoln then found himself working for the ANC's Department of Intelligence and Security (DIS), which was still operating underground beyond the grasp of apartheid. On the surface it looked like South Africa was inching away from that regime, but some who'd been ensconced within the state felt that wasn't exactly the case. DM
IOL News
30-05-2025
- IOL News
Honouring Major-General André Lincoln: A legacy of courage and service
Major-General Andre Lincoln. Image: Phando Jikelo / Independent Newspapers Major-General (retired) André Lincoln, a veteran crime fighter and former head of the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit, passed away on Friday morning at 63. Lincoln spent nearly four decades in the South African Police Service (SAPS), where he led several high-profile crime-fighting initiatives, most notably in communities affected by gang violence across the Cape Flats. As head of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU), he spearheaded efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks, working closely with residents and community leaders to restore trust in law enforcement. His death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from government officials, civil society organisations, and former intelligence operatives. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais described Lincoln as a dedicated public servant whose contribution to policing would leave a lasting legacy. 'Major-General Lincoln's contribution to improving safety in the Western Cape will continue to form part of the legacy he leaves behind. My thoughts are with his family during this difficult time,' Marais said. Lincoln's law enforcement career began before the advent of democracy, during which he was also involved in underground intelligence work. After 1994, he was appointed by former president Nelson Mandela to head the Presidential Investigation Task Unit. He had previously served as one of Mandela's bodyguards and reportedly helped prevent an assassination attempt during the 1994 presidential inauguration. Lincoln later served as a cluster commander before taking up his final post as head of the Anti-Gang Unit, which was launched to respond to the surge in violent crime and gang activity across the Western Cape. He was often seen on the ground during high-risk operations, leading from the front and working in some of the province's most volatile areas. Bradley Steyn, a former intelligence operative and author of Undercover with Mandela's Spies, credited Lincoln with saving lives both during the Struggle and in post-apartheid South Africa. 'I knew André Lincoln first as my enemy, then as my mentor, handler, and eventually, my friend,' said Steyn. 'He embodied sacrifice, strength, and service.' The organisation Fight Against Crime South Africa (FACSA) also issued a statement honouring Lincoln, describing him as 'a beacon of hope in communities plagued by crime and violence'. 'His legacy, especially in leading the AGU and fearlessly confronting organised crime and gang violence, will forever be remembered by the people of the Western Cape and across South Africa,' the group said. The #GangsterismMustFall movement has called for a Special Provincial Official Funeral – Category 1, saying Lincoln's lifelong commitment to public safety deserves formal recognition. 'He walked the streets of the Cape Flats not above the people, but among them – earning trust, offering hope, and saving lives,' the movement said. Lincoln is survived by his wife, Shereen, and their children. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- IOL News
Police probing Parkwood triple murder
Detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) have been roped in to investigate the circumstances leading to the triple murder. Image: SAPS THREE people were shot dead while a fourth was wounded when unknown suspects opened fire on them from a white vehicle in Kiewiet Way, Parkwood on Sunday night. Police spokesperson Andre Traut said detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) have since been roped in to investigate the circumstances leading to the triple murder. 'The incident claimed the lives of three men, believed to be in their thirties and forties. A fourth victim, aged 24, sustained injuries but declined medical assistance from emergency services at the scene,' said Traut. In Lavender Hill, the AGU, responding to gang violence between rival gangs, recovered multiple firearms and arrested a man they believed belonged to a local gang at the weekend. 'Members attached to the Anti-Gang Unit and their Information Team followed up on information pertaining to the location of a firearm. The information led the members to an address in Parkin Court, Lavender Hill where a 35-year-old male who is affiliated to a local gang grouping, was arrested when the members recovered a 9mm pistol with nine 9mm rounds of ammunition. 'Further information led the team to the location of another firearm at a premises in Constitution Court, Lavender Hill. The information led to the arrest of a 49-year-old female for the unlawful possession of a chrome Browning 7.65mm Pistol with 12 7.65mm rounds of ammunition,' said police spokesperson FC Van Wyk. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ While performing tracing operations, officers recovered fifteen 9mm rounds of ammunition abandoned on the staircase near a premises in Shepard Court, Lavender Hill. Van Wyk said no one was arrested for the ammunition. Western Cape police recently acknowledged that a multidisciplinary policing approach was proving effective with some hot-spots showing stabilisation. This was part of their efforts to deal holistically with serious violent crime incidents plaguing some communities within the City of Cape Town district. A stop and search operation due to ongoing shooting in Tafelsing resulted in the arrest of a man for the illegal possession of a firearm in Mitchells Plain on Sunday. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said: 'In an unrelated matter, members of Malmesbury police followed up information about a suspect who is wanted for attempted murder and searched the identified premises in Chatsworth. The members arrested the suspect fitting the description and upon further search of the premises they found a .38 Special revolver without a serial number with 35 rounds of ammunition hidden under the mattress in the Wendy house. A 21-year-old suspect was arrested for the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.' Cape Times
The South African
04-05-2025
- The South African
Security guard allegedly accused of murder appears in court
POTCHEFSTROOM- A security guard allegedly accused of murder made their first court appearance at the Schweizer Reneke Magistrates' Court on Friday, 2 May 2025. The 36-year-old security guard, Kilile Dail, made his court appearance after allegedly stabbing 42-year-old Kuni Daniel Setsetse. According to police, Dail was on duty as a security guard at a local petrol station when he got into an altercation with the victim and his friends who had challenges with withdrawing money from an ATM. 'It was during the argument that Dail allegedly stabbed Setsetse on the upper body with a knife. Setsetse was rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared dead,' said the police. Acting Provincial Police Commissioner of North West, Major General Patrick Asaneng, described the murder as a senseless and avoidable. 'This is yet another senseless murder which could and should not have happened, taking into consideration the circumstances under which it happened.' 'The impulsive and irrational resort to violence in resolving differences has now resulted in the irreversible, unjustified loss of life and arrest, both of which are going to affect the livelihoods of both the deceased and the suspect's families,' said Asaneng. Western Cape SAPS are still in disbelief after a shooting incident in Athlone Mosque claimed the life of a 35-year-old female administrative clerk from Kraaifontein SAPS. According to police, the incident occurred around 13:45 on Saturday, 03 May 2025. A 56-year-old woman sustained injuries and was taken to a medical facility for treatment. Initial reports suggest that two men approached the women while they were in a vehicle that they were travelling in. Athlone SAPS have opened a murder and attempted murder case that will be led by detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit. The police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or on the MySAPS mobile application anonymously. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
