Reflecting on the proceedings of the nationwide summit on gang-related violence, convened following a resolution of the National Assembly, members of the Portfolio Committee on Police echoed the need for cross-cutting approaches and greater collaboration among departments to develop sustainable solutions to gang-related violence.
Mr Muzi Khoza (EFF) stressed the urgency of moving beyond rhetoric. “We have done too much rhetoric on this matter; we now need to be on the ground and join affected communities in their endeavours to uproot the cause and effect of gang culture in their communities.” He continued, saying that there is no need for more summits because the nature and scale of the problem, as well as its instigators, are already known. The time has come to confront them directly.
Ms Lisa-Mare Schickerling (DA) proposed legislative interventions to address the problem. She said that, as lawmakers and custodians of government oversight, Members of Parliament should consider legislative proposals to strengthen the policies governing the criminal justice value chain. This should be complemented by effective budgetary oversight by the committee to ensure that funds allocated to combating gang-related violence are spent correctly and effectively, and that such allocations make a meaningful contribution to tackling the scourge.
Ms Dereleen James (ActionSA) called for a change in approach to addressing the origins and evolving nature of gang-related violence. “We can’t continue to apply conventional policing to an unconventional and evolving crime.”
She echoed Mr Khoza’s call for greater activism by members of the police and criminal justice committees. Member of Parliament, she said, should spend more time on the ground, working with affected communities to gain a firsthand understanding of the changing dynamics and impact of gang violence on families and communities.
Ms James also commended the sustained work of NGOs in affected communities, which she said are filling gaps left by government departments. In her view, these organisations should receive greater financial support for their underfunded programmes because they play a vital role in maintaining the social fabric of these communities.
Evidence-Based Policing and Institutional Reform
Making evidence-based contributions on gang-related crime, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the national leader of the SAPS Task Team on Organised Crime and Syndicates, commended the involvement of scholars in the summit. He highlighted their valuable contribution in providing lawmakers with critical information and research on the reach of gang culture, what sustains it and the nature of its trade and commodities.
This knowledge is essential, he said, because crime cannot be effectively tackled without understanding how it operates, what drives its growth and what sustains its presence in affected communities.
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi also called for a review, if not an overhaul, of legislation governing law enforcement. This is necessary to establish a responsive and well-coordinated institutional framework capable of addressing the fragmented and growing number of entities whose approaches are not sufficiently integrated and whose overlapping law enforcement mandates do not always interface effectively.
The need for greater collaboration among affected departments emerged repeatedly during the summit. The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Ian Cameron, reiterated that as the summit unfolds nationwide, it will involve relevant departments to identify areas of common interest and collaboration.
He stressed that this coordination should extend across the entire criminal justice value chain and related departments. To dismantle the reach of organised crime, “we need crime intelligence and related entities to work together seamlessly. Because the task at hand is too big. Hence we need to work collectively and collaboratively with affected departments if we are to make any significant achievements in our fight against gang-related violence,” he said.
Mr Cameron further proposed that the affected parliamentary committees, communities and departments establish a war room to lead efforts to restore safety and justice in affected communities. Before this, however, he said police management needs to explain what could be done immediately to improve the police response to the scourge.
The Chairperson also acknowledged that the summit needs to grapple with several issues to better understand the criminal economy underpinning gang-related violence and the sophistication it has developed over time. He expressed optimism that these issues would be addressed as part of efforts to dismantle the mechanisms that perpetuate gang-related criminality.
He added that, to disrupt the growing financial reach of gangs in affected areas, SARS and the Reserve Bank should consider strengthening due diligence measures relating to the illicit flow of funds to gang cartels. This could include stricter measures requiring gang leaders to account for the source of their wealth.
Towards a Nationwide Response
Explaining the timeframe for the nationwide summit, Mr Cameron said that the committee would table its six-month interim report in November. The report will outline the nature and scale of gang-related criminality, its causes and effects, and the legislative or policy recommendations required to dismantle the structures and networks that sustain it.
Abel Mputing
21 August 2026
Arrange a tour