Parliament, Tuesday, 11 August 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Police will begin its inquiry into gang-related violent crime with a solutions-based summit bringing together victims of gang-related violence, civil society organisations, community-based organisations and individuals working on a daily basis to combat gang violence.
The committee has resolved that public participation in the inquiry must go beyond a tick-box exercise. The summit is intended to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges associated with gang-related violence and to explore how government, communities, civil society and other stakeholders can collaborate to address the scourge.
The inquiry follows a mandate given to the committee by the National Assembly on 25 November 2025, in terms of Rule 227(1)(e) of the National Assembly Rules, to conduct an in-depth inquiry into the worrying high levels of gang-related violent crime.
The mandate followed a surge in violent murders and gang-related crime in the Cape Flats, prompting the National Assembly to investigate the underlying causes of the violence and assess the effectiveness of policing interventions aimed at curbing the escalation in violent crime.
“The inquiry is an important exercise aimed at finding solutions, collaboratively, to the challenge of gang violence. The undeniable fact is that gang violence has far surpassed crisis levels and far-reaching solutions are not only necessary but urgent,” said Mr Ian Cameron, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police.
In line with this objective, the committee will hold a solutions-based summit on Wednesday, 19 August 2026. The summit will interrogate the causes of gang-related violence, measures required to overcome the challenge, the resources needed, and the framework for sustained collaboration between stakeholders.
Ahead of the summit, the Portfolio Committee on Police will undertake a joint oversight visit with the Portfolio Committee on Defence and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence to assess the impact of the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in stabilising violence in the City of Cape Town.
“While we don’t want to pre-empt the oversight, the intervention is another example of isolated interventions that cannot be sustained over time. While the intervention might be necessary in the short term, the scourge requires long-term and collaborative measures that can be sustained over time, hence the need for the inquiry,” Mr Cameron said.
The committee emphasises that addressing gang-related violence requires a coordinated and sustainable response that goes beyond short-term interventions. The inquiry will therefore seek to identify practical and lasting solutions that address the underlying causes of gang violence while strengthening collaboration among all sectors of society.
Public Participation
Members of the community who wish to participate in the inquiry are invited to indicate their willingness to participate by contacting Ms B Mbengo on 083 709 8489. Individuals and organisations may also submit written submissions to: gangviolenceinquiry@parliament.gov.za
The Portfolio Committee on Police encourages affected communities, civil society, community-based organisations and other stakeholders with relevant experience and expertise to participate in this important process.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR IAN CAMERON.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
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E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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