The National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has commended the Western Cape police for their continued efforts to detect, dismantle and dislodge gang-related activity in hotspot areas across the province.

According to police Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, since 1 April 2025, more than 980 additional officers have been deployed daily to gang hotspots across the City of Cape Town. This includes 800 officers from both the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the City of Cape Town, as well as 182 members from SAPS Head Office.

Mathe says these deployments are in addition to the more than 9,000 officers already serving at 62 police stations within the Cape Town policing precinct.

This strengthened collaboration has yielded significant results, with the arrest of 722 alleged gang members from areas including Mitchell’s Plain, Mfuleni, Delft, Bishop Lavis, Tafelsig, Muizenberg, Grassy Park and Manenberg.

General Masemola says it is encouraging to see police officers in Cape Town working tirelessly alongside other law enforcement agencies and key stakeholders to disrupt organised gang operations.

Drug-related crime reported remains a major focus for authorities, with 54,947 suspects arrested for possession of drugs during the same period.

Additional notable arrests since April include 2,296 for drug dealing, 96 for gang-related murders, and 60 for attempted murders.

Police have also made substantial seizures, including 1,565 firearms and 39,371 rounds of ammunition.

Masemola says these results reflect the Western Cape police’s relentless commitment to restoring safety and stability in gang-affected communities.

The commissioner added that 2408 newly trained officers have been deployed to various units and stations across the Western Cape since 2021 to bolster the fight against crime, and the police will continue to prioritise and capacitate the Western Cape province.

“The support and collaboration of the community play a major role in ensuring that we put an end to gang violence. Through Community Policing Forums(CPF) and other safety and security structures, the SAPS remains committed to forging a solid partnerships to end ongoing killings,” said Masemola.

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