Cape Town - The Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) has a vacancy rate of 38% with 88 positions available.
With a decrease in gang units on the ground, the Western Cape has as many as 130 gangs with an estimated 100 000 men being part of these crime world structures.
This is according to Dariusz Dziewanski, an honorary research affiliate at the University of Cape Town’s Centre of Criminology.
In his latest report in 2018, he wrote: “There are as many as 130 gangs in Cape Town South Africa. They have the tightest grip on those parts of the city where poverty and insecurity have pushed an estimated 100 000 young men and women into a struggle over identity, interpersonal grievances and drug turf.”
Gillion Bosman, MPP, DA Western Cape spokesperson on Community Safety recently approached the South African Police Service, who confirmed that their AGU Unit had a vacancy rate of 38% and that only 144 positions were filled.
This is hanging in the balance as the unit is still without a permanent head after the retirement of top cop, Major-General Andre Lincoln last year.
Earlier this year Weekend Argus reported that Lincoln had 39 years of service and that unit was formed six years ago.
Colonel Karl Wienand has since been made acting commander.
Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, said the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) crime statistics over the four quarters of the 2021/22 financial year indicates that in the Western Cape, there were 227 murder cases which has been linked to vigilantism/mob justice.
Since March this year 26 people have lost their lives in mass shootings in Khayelitsha. Since September 2020, 51 people have been fatally shot in Khayelitsha.
Sporadic gang shootings have plagued areas such as Manenberg, Hanover Park, Kraaifontein, Lavender, Mitchells Plain and Delft in recent months.
Bosman said he would be writing further letters to the police on the vacancies being filled as the need grows on the ground.
“Even though the vacancy rate decreased from 76% to 38% during the 2022/21 financial year, it has remained constant for the past three financial years with the unit also experiencing a decrease in its operational budget this year.
“Owing to the important role the AGU plays in combating gangsterism in our communities, I will be submitting more written questions to ascertain the reasons for the current vacancies and whether SAPS has any plans to fill them.
“The AGU is made up of members from specialised units with the objective of weakening the capacity of gangs that are active in our country, whilst also disabling the economic activity that is linked to and supports gangsterism.
“This targeted approach has contributed towards fighting these illegal operations in the crime hotspots found in the Western Cape.”
He added that the constant increase in gang shootings would remain if the situation did not improve with the unit. “It is concerning that, given the recent flare-ups in murders in crime-stricken communities in Cape Town, the current situation of the Anti-Gang Unit remains unchanged.
“For us to be able to fight crime efficiently and strategically, every structure needs to have the necessary resources and personnel in order to operate effectively.”
He said the introduction of the Reaction Unit in February was an added tool in combating shootings.
“This unit, operating within the LEAP (law enforcement advancement plan) programme, acts as a force multiplier and assists SAPS when flare-ups in crime take place. As the DA, we look forward to the Reaction Unit being expanded to further boost our efforts to keep our communities safe.”
Allen told Weekend Argus that the main focus of the unit was to combat and prevent gang activity and that it was due time that budgets were opened to make way for these positions to be filled.
“One of the first lines of combating crime is visible policing, which is backed up by personnel with the required tools and resources to do their jobs,” Allen said.
“The AGU’s a specialised unit that amongst others focuses on preventing and combating gang activity.
“Given how sophisticated gangs are, the AGUs required to always be on top of their game. Having such a high vacancy rate in such a specialised unit is wholly unacceptable, particularly since gangsterism is a huge problem across our province. We hear about budgets and resources coming to the Western Cape, but where this is being allocated, we don’t know.
“If it’s expected of the AGU to be effective then SAPS management, particularly the National Minister of Police, Bheki Cele has a responsibility to ensure it has the requisite warm bodies and all the resources needed.
“It’s already a fact, given the under-resourcing that the dedicated men and women in blue are having to work themselves to a standstill.
“The national minister should inform the public how he’s going to ensure that this matter will urgently be addressed.
“We will continue to deploy our LEAP officers in places where they’re mostly needed so that our communities do not have to continue suffering.”
Police did not respond to Weekend Argus queries.