Communities across the Northern Areas are living through an unfolding crisis as more young people are pulled into cycles of violence, drugs, and criminality. The latest official data from the Eastern Cape Department of Community Safety confirms a deeply troubling surge in youth involvement in crime.
These figures show that gangsterism continues to shape the lives and futures of young people in the Northern Areas. Parents in Gelvandale, Bethelsdorp, and Schauderville go to bed fearing that their children may not make it home.
In response to a parliamentary question from the Democratic Alliance, Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha revealed that over the past year, 1,868 young people aged 14 to 35 were charged with crimes in the Northern Areas.
The closer examination of the stats reveals a community under siege by gangsterism. Offences under the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act account for 444 cases, by far the highest category.
There are also high levels of common assault, malicious property damage, and assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm. On top of this, there are 73 cases of unlawful possession of firearms, 22 murder cases, and a further 33 attempted murder cases involving youth in the Northern Areas.
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These figures speak of an entrenched criminal ecosystem that continues to draw young people into its grip.
This data shows current interventions are not working, and that far stronger, targeted action is required to disrupt gangsterism and protect the province’s youth.
The DA believes that the province must shift toward targeted, measurable, and community-anchored action to break the hold of gangsterism. I put forward a petition to Parliament that includes specialised anti-gang policing that is visible, intelligence-driven, and permanently deployed in high-risk zones. It requires robust partnerships with credible NGOs, structured after-school programmes, and direct support for at-risk youth before they are recruited.
Parliament endorsed these urgent interventions. However, the acting Minister of Police and SAPS leadership have failed to implement them in the Northern Areas.
The specialised anti-gang deployments, strengthened crime intelligence, and upgraded policing infrastructure that Parliament supported have not arrived on the ground.
I will write to the DA’s Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, to request that a follow-up resolution be submitted and adopted that compels the Minister of Police and SAPS leadership to report on the implementation of every recommendation in the Northern Areas petition report, with clear deadlines and measurable commitments.
This must include concrete timelines for specialised anti-gang deployments, strengthened crime intelligence, and improved policing infrastructure in the Northern Areas.
We need to restore dignity, safety, and opportunity to families who have lived under the control of gangs for too long. Every young person diverted away from crime is a life reclaimed.
The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that protects their children and builds communities where they can grow up free from fear.