The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) on Saturday appealed for the "partnership between police and communities" to be strengthened to wrest youth away from the destructive culture of gangsterism and drugs.
"The senseless violence as well as the reign of terror by gangsters has destroyed the moral fibre of some of the communities that need to be freed from the cycle of violence and hopelessness,” Sanco national spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu said.
He welcomed the 22-year sentence handed down earlier this week to a notorious Manenberg, Cape Town, gangster for a host of charges, including murder.
Mahlangu said he hoped justice had been served for the families who lost their loved ones because of the "ghastly and heinous acts that were committed by Alfonso Seconds".
Seconds was sentenced on Thursday for the murder of two young men in 2015 and 2016. According to Western Cape police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana, he was also convicted on charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as a charge under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act which related to his gang activities.
“Efforts to rid communities of gangsters need to be intensified and adequate resources deployed for this purpose,” Mahlangu said.
No effort should be spared in giving children growing up in gang infested communities a chance to live in a drug-free and safe environment, he said.