The Anti-Gang Unit in Hanover Park.
Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers
Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile came under heavy questioning by members of the parliamentary portfolio committee on police during a briefing on gang-related crime in the province on Wednesday.
In his presentation to the committee, Patekile said contributing factors to the multiple killings include extortion, inter- and intra-criminal gang activities, and fights over fragmented gang territories and markets.
He also said illicit firearms are used in the commission of violent and organized crime such as gang turf wars, robberies, and taxi violence.
“Taxi violence remains a significant issue in the Western Cape, driven by factors such as competition for routes, lack of regulation, criminal involvement,” Patekile said.
He said police have considered these factors in their efforts to combat gang violence in the Western Cape:
Patekile said from April 2024 to March 2025, a total of 42 people were arrested (eight gang leaders and 34 members), and police seized 34 firearms, adding that there were 42 convictions.
Allocation of resources in the Anti-Gang Unit.
Image: SAPS
He stated that a comprehensive approach involving both government and society must be fully implemented, and it cannot be left to policing alone. Policing comes when everything else is inadequately implemented.
“The SAPS is not responsible for school dropouts, which are the breeding grounds for gangs and criminal groupings,” Patekile said.
“Early interventions and human development as envisaged in these strategies mentioned herein this presentation requires that we redirect the energy of our youth toward self-development which will discourage young people from joining gangs.”
The portfolio committee questioned Patekile over his presentation, including police owning taxis, gang violence statistics, Anti-Gang Unit personnel, working conditions and resources, seizures, asking for SA National Defence Force (SANDF) assistance, SAPS not being responsible for school dropouts and the conviction rate.
Portfolio Committee on Police Chairperson Ian Cameron said statements made in the media that gang violence is under control and that large-scale disruptive operations are being held are not true.
He stated that it is impossible to carry out disruptive operations at the AGU due to a lack of members. Even when members are present, they are frequently tied to the base due to a lack of vehicles.
Anti-Gang Unit successes between April 2024 and March 2025.
Image: SAPS
Responding, Deputy Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said according to the SAPS and the National Instructions, an SAPS member is not allowed to own any business (liquor, club, taxi), because there will be a conflict of interest.
On the SANDF, Mosikili said there is a process and that President Cyril Ramaphosa can approve the deployment of the SANDF but only if there is sufficient motivation.
Also responding on school dropouts, Patekile said his point was that the number of school dropouts and the youth idling is the breeding ground for criminals, gangs, and other criminals to emerge. The focus should be on ensuring the youth is safe from being recruited into gangs and criminal activities.
He agreed the AGU fleet is aging, but they are making efforts to get their vehicles out of garages. He also said an additional 22 members were going to start in a few months.
Patekile reported that 45 members were arrested and dismissed for corruption in the Western Cape last financial year.
Cameron said he was concerned about the conditions some officers work under in the province.
He said that where the AGU and public order police unit operate is extremely dilapidated.
“It is of great concern to see the limited number of vehicles these units have. The fact that the AGU does not have a fixed establishment is extremely worrying because it means no one can plan. They’ve got no intelligence capacity inside the AGU, so there’s no one that’s dedicated to providing crime intelligence for the AGU and the dedicated detectives aren’t attached to the AGU anymore,” Cameron said.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za