Justice, police chiefs unite to tackle gang violence, court security in Cape Town

By Lebone Rodah Mosima 

The country’s top justice and policing officials pledged tighter coordination to tackle rampant gang violence and improve community safety after meeting residents of Mitchells Plain and Mfuleni on Tuesday.

National police commissioner Fannie Masemola, Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel, acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and Deputy Minister of Police Polly Boshielo joined senior criminal justice leaders to hear community concerns ranging from unemployment and youth gang recruitment to substance abuse and access to recreational facilities.

The visit followed the execution-style killing of an accused person outside the Athlone Magistrate’s Court after a court appearance – a case Nel described as highlighting “serious security gaps” around high-risk courts.

“Athlone itself has long been marked as a high-risk court, with incidents of drug smuggling, gang-linked intimidation and shootings in the vicinity,” he said.

Nel stressed that combating crime and gangsterism required “a coordinated, whole-of-government response” involving police, prosecutors,