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Mec’s Response Shows Alarming Failure To Address Gang-Related Murders In Northern Areas

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Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned by the response from Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha regarding the number of arrests and convictions concerning gang-related murders in the Northern Areas.

In response to an oral question in the Legislature yesterday, the MEC said that 181 arrests were made in connection with 142 cases between January 2019 and August 2024, resulting in only 62 convictions.

While this may seem like progress, it pales in comparison to the 985 gang-related murders that the Northern Areas community has recorded during the same period.

This means that a staggering 843 cases are either uninvestigated or unresolved.

The glaring gap between reported murders and actual convictions speaks to the continued failures to address the scourge of gang violence. The lack of investigations and meaningful resolutions leaves communities in fear, knowing that justice remains elusive for the majority of victims.

The DA will not stand by while the safety of our communities is compromised. We will continue to fight for accountability and demand that the government take real action to stop the bloodshed.

In response to a follow-up question, MEC Nqatha requested that we provide him with our information on the matter, and I will be providing him with a comprehensive list of the names of people who lost their lives to gang-related violence over the past five years.

We will do so to push for thorough investigations and prosecutions, ensuring that every case is investigated, and every family receives the justice they deserve.

The DA remains committed to working with law enforcement and the government to address this crisis, but we will not allow the government to continue failing the people of our province.

Regards

Yusuf Cassim MPL
DA Shadow MEC for Community Safety

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