Cape Town communities on the Cape Flats are facing a sharper, younger edge to gang violence. SAPS Western Cape spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa says gang members are becoming “younger, more dangerous, daring, and fearless”, a shift police link to the fight for territory, guns and drug markets.

Younger Recruits, Bigger Risk

Police say the age profile is dropping, which changes the threat on the ground. Younger recruits are easier to pull in, quicker to prove themselves and more likely to take risks in public spaces. That matters because Western Cape murders are rising, with shootings increasingly happening in streets and open areas.

SAPS crime statistics for July to September 2025 show the province recorded 1,160 murders, a 9.1% increase on the same period the year before. Firearms were used in 60.6% cent of those cases. Over the first six months of the 2025/26 financial year, the province recorded about 2,308 murders, already 51.6% of the previous year’s total.

Arrests can Create Power Vacuums

Potelwa says SAPS has arrested key gang leaders and that those cases are before court, with the accused remaining in custody. But she warns the knock-on effect can be violent. When leaders are removed, rival groups and ambitious younger members rush to fill the gap, which can trigger fresh conflict.

That is why community safety is not just about big arrests. It is also about what happens the next day in the streets where people walk to work, get kids to school and try to live.

SAPS Plan Targets Guns and Drugs

SAPS says it is rolling out a provincial Gang Stabilisation Plan at identified hotspots. The plan includes intelligence-driven operations such as lockdowns, vehicle checkpoints, raids, disruptive actions and takedown operations. Police say they are targeting “crime generators” including illegal firearms, ammunition and drugs.

Calls for Sustained Policing

Civil society group Action Society says high-risk areas need sustained, visible policing and stronger intelligence and investigative capacity. POPCRU in the province has also pointed to shortages in staff and equipment, calling for more vehicles, more detectives and better support to prepare cases for court.

For residents, the message is simple: the gangs are adapting fast, and the response needs to match that pace.