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Teenage boys aged 14 and older are the group most affected by gang-related violence in Gauteng, with 258 killed and 408 surviving attempted murders since 2022.
This is according to figures released by premier Panyaza Lesufi.
Lesufi revealed the figures in a written reply to questions from DA Gauteng spokesperson for community safety Michael Sun, saying police had recorded 979 gang-related cases, leading to 641 arrests and the recovery of 189 illegal firearms during the period.
The province’s identified gang violence hotspots include Sophiatown, Westbury, Eldorado Park, Langlaagte, Riverlea, Reiger Park, Booysens, Chrisville, Bella Vista, Moffatview, South Hills and Mohlakeng in Toekomsrus.
Lesufi said police assessments have identified several factors driving gangsterism in Gauteng communities.
“There is no dedicated budget for anti-gang investigations.”
— Panyaza Lesufi
“Key drivers include competition over drug distribution territories, retaliatory violence, peer pressure, and a range of social, psychological, and environmental influences. These factors are often compounded by a desire for belonging, protection, status and financial gain,” he said.
Lesufi said research shows that children and young people who experience social isolation, weak family support structures or limited community integration are particularly vulnerable to gang recruitment.
“Gangs frequently provide a perceived sense of family, identity and acceptance.”
He added that exposure to violence in the home, parental substance abuse, neglect, inadequate supervision, poverty and broader socio-economic challenges also contribute to young people joining gangs.
While the provincial government has allocated R3.8m for visible policing within the anti-gang unit, Lesufi acknowledged that significant challenges remain in tackling organised gangs.
He said law enforcement continues to face evolving criminal networks, reluctance from communities to cooperate with police, low conviction rates and the absence of specialised courts dedicated to gang-related crimes.
“There is no dedicated budget for anti-gang investigations,” Lesufi said.
He added that the availability of illegal firearms, gang influence within correctional facilities and repeat offending by individuals released from prison continue to fuel gang-related crime.
Reacting to the figures, Sun said they demonstrate the growing threat gangsterism poses.
“Gang violence is tightening its grip on Gauteng, with organised criminal gangs terrorising communities and recruiting children,” he said.
Sun called on Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni to deploy specialised units to “investigate, dismantle and bring to justice the criminal gangs terrorising Gauteng communities”.
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