Deputy National Commissioner of Policing Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili outlined an enhanced multi-agency strategy to combat gang violence in the Western Cape, revealing significant arrests and seizures while emphasizing the need for sustained funding and integrated operations.
Speaking to the National Council of Provinces on Wednesday 8 October, Mosikili emphasized that the current approach represents “not just a strategy, but an enhanced strategy” developed after extensive engagement with Western Cape civil society organisations.
“We have sat, we have listened to them, we took cognizance of the guidance and advice because we believed that they were coming from the people that are feeling the impact,” Mosikili explained, noting that community recommendations were incorporated into the operational plan.
Mosikili detailed a multi-faceted strategy recognising that gang-related crimes “do not occur in isolation”.
The approach addresses interconnected criminal activities including extortion, firearm trafficking, drug dealing, territorial disputes, and transport sector conflicts.
“By addressing these crimes holistically rather than individually, law enforcement can make inroads in the criminal ecosystem more effectively,” she said.
Specialised interventions
Mosikili highlighted the ongoing success of Operation Shanela, a crime prevention strategy adopted by police in 2023 and rolled out nationwide. She also referenced illicit mining operations adopted in December 2023 that are “continuously making inroads in some parts of the country”.
The Western Cape operations now include “Operation Lockdown”, currently in its third phase, specifically targeting gang violence with additional resources deployed from across the country. The strategy concentrates on 26 priority police stations in the Cape Town metropole, with an additional five stations to prevent crime displacement, bringing the total operational area to 31 stations.
“We have scaled down to look at where it matters most,” Mosikili explained, noting that operational members are deployed daily at these priority locations.
Mosikili presented statistics demonstrating the strategy’s impact from April 1 to September 30. During that period 936 people were arrested province-wide for gang-related activities. Almost half of the arrests, 445 came specifically from the 26 priority stations.
Likewise, with the attempted murder arrests in Western Cape (927), nearly a third were from priority stations (300). Almost half for the illegal guns confiscated province-wide (1 162) were from priority stations (551) and among the rounds of ammunition seized in the province (12 000) more than half were from priority areas (7 000).
She listed the interventions conviction successes saying that of 152 total convictions recorded by NPA and police, 93 were for serious violent crimes including murder and attempted murder and of those 20 received life sentences for murder and there were multiple other sentences ranging from 20 to 30 years for murder.
Multi-agency collaboration
She echoed acting minister of police Firoz Cachalia in his call for a comprehensive partnership approach, which included state security agencies for intelligence collection, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), the Central Electronic Registry of Arrests (CERA), and border management authorities.
“We find illegal immigrants in far-flung areas of the Western Cape, surprisingly, that we believe would only be at the border provinces,” she noted, highlighting the need for comprehensive border security integration.
She said the strategy employs “flexible task teams that move as and when intelligence directs”, supported by technology partnerships and evidence-based hotspot policing to ensure visibility and quick response capabilities.
Also, building on the cooperation agreement signed on 30 August 2020, a technical committee was established with nine dedicated work streams reporting regularly on progress. Joint operations are conducted with Metro Police, provincial traffic authorities, and community policing forums.
“These are done as a force multiplier,” Mosikili explained, emphasizing the collaborative approach with local authorities and civil society.
Addressing officer safety concerns
Mosikili made a direct appeal to South Africans following a recent unprecedented incident involving a female officer in Kimberley, stating: “Law enforcement officials are there to protect and ensure a safe and secure environment for all, not to be victims of crime because that will scare them from doing what they are supposed to do.”
She said the strategy’s continuation depends on sustained funding, as outlined by the acting minister.
The approach is being implemented with consideration for upcoming events including the G20 leadership summit and local government activities. The comprehensive strategy represents a shift from “fragmented operations” to an integrated, intelligence-driven approach targeting the criminal ecosystem supporting gang violence in the Western Cape, with potential for national application.
As South Africa’s first female Deputy National Commissioner of Policing, Mosikili’s presentation demonstrated the operational depth and multi-agency coordination required to address what officials describe as a crisis threatening community safety and national security.
