PRETORIA - Gqeberha’s murder rate is at an “extraordinarily high” level, comparable to “war-level conditions”, while Cape Town is also experiencing exceptionally high levels of homicide, an organised crime expert has told the Madlanga Commission.
Dr Mark Shaw, an organised crime and criminal justice expert, was testifying before the commission on Wednesday as it examines how South Africa can strengthen its laws and institutions to prevent organised crime from infiltrating the criminal justice system.
Shaw told the commission that areas with a strong presence of violent and territorial street gangs tend to experience significantly higher levels of violence.
READ | 'People don’t just call at 10pm' | Lebeya pressed over Malcolm X phone call
He highlighted Gqeberha and Cape Town as examples of areas where organised crime and gang activity are associated with particularly high homicide rates.
“We also see pronounced levels of violence present in localities assessed to have a high street gang presence,” Shaw said.
He said this could also be described as a high presence of organised crime, pointing specifically to Gqeberha and Cape Town.
According to data cited by Shaw, Gqeberha has a homicide rate of 119 per 100,000 people, while Cape Town’s rate stands at 69 per 100,000.
READ MORE | Four shot dead in Gqeberha
Shaw described Gqeberha’s homicide rate as “extraordinarily high”.
“I have to say, at war-level conditions,” he told the commission.
He said the broader point was that both areas experience very high levels of violence, particularly in communities where organised criminal networks and street gangs have established territorial control.