63 Child Murders in the Cape
In the Western Cape, at least 63 children have been killed in a span of five months, primarily due to gang violence.
This information was disclosed during a police report to the standing committee on social development of the Western Cape Legislature on Tuesday.
Major-General Luyanda Damoyi presented data from the period of April 1 to August 31.
The areas most impacted include Kraaifontein, Philippi East, Delft, Nyanga, and Mfuleni, as well as Samora Machel, Elsies River, Bishop Lavis, Ravensmead, and Gugulethu.
Notable recent cases include the murders of three-month-old Moegsien Isaacs in Bontehuewel and 11-year-old Esmine Franke in Wallacedene.
Damoyi stated: “From April 1 to August 31, 63 children were murdered in the Western Cape.
“These figures are operational stats and may change after auditing.”
He noted that 71 percent of the victims were aged 15 to 17, while 11 percent were between 11 and 14 years old.
Additionally, 11 percent were aged five and under, and six percent were between 6 to 10 years old.
Gang violence was identified as the cause of 22 percent of these murders.
This report follows police operations that uncovered 19 firearms, approximately 1,500 rounds of ammunition, three gun safes, 26 magazines, a stun grenade, a silencer, and shooting practice target boards hidden in cooler boxes and safes at a residence in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain.
Linda Jones, Public Relations Officer for Mitchells Plain CPF, remarked: “We welcome the initiatives taken by our Law Enforcement agencies, but this is merely a small step as the killings persist despite these breakthroughs.”
“We appreciate these operations and ask for the arrest of gang leaders, holding them for 48 hours, preparing their profiles, and ensuring they remain incarcerated.”
“Establish special detective units with experienced personnel. The frequent failure to complete statements thoroughly leads to dockets lacking necessary information before court presentation.”
“We are experiencing an excessive number of provisional withdrawals due to insufficient evidence. Delays in report submissions hinder our courts.”