CAPE TOWN - Four hundred and ninety people have been killed in gang-related shootings in the Western Cape in just six months.
In Parliament, MPs slammed Cape Town’s spiralling gun violence as a full-blown humanitarian crisis, fuelled by the illegal gun trade.
The crisis took centre stage at a virtual mini plenary of the National Assembly on Friday, where Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia revealed the latest grim statistics.
Authorities say gang violence has surged to alarming levels, particularly between April and September.
"During this time, almost 120 young people under the age of 18 were shot resulting in 23 deaths. Children under the age of 14 accounted for five of these deaths with 41 wounded. Since August, murders have increased by 18% compared to the same period last year. This is completely unacceptable and cannot go on,” says Acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia
Cachalia admits the Western Cape police’s current crackdown isn’t enough.
He’s set to meet top officials in the Justice Cluster next week to ramp up the fight against crime
eNCA’s Kevin Brandt reports.