The DA has taken the liberty of penning a letter to the National Commissioner of Correctional Services, to ask for urgent reform of the current parole system.

The party says the intervention is desperately needed, as 36 percent of parolees re-offend in some cape flats areas which exacerbates gang and drug violence.

In a statement issued earlier this afternoon, the DA says this also follows a parliamentary reply from Correctional Services minister Pieter Groenewald, who shed light on a dangerous link between parole policy failures and the ongoing gang and drug wars plaguing the Cape Flats.

Between February last year and February 2025, across the Cape Flats 2,395 parolees were released into communities, and shockingly 254 have reoffended – marking an alarming 10.6% recidivism rate in the space of 12 months.

READ MORE: JP Smith calls for control over ballistics to reduce gun violence