63 child murders in Western Cape in 5 months

AT LEAST 63 children have been murdered in the Western Cape in just five months, with gang violence named as the primary driver of the killings.

This was revealed during a police presentation to the Western Cape Legislature’s standing committee on social development on Tuesday

Major-General Luyanda Damoyi presented statistics covering the period from April 1 to August 31.

The worst-affected areas include Kraaifontein, Philippi East, Delft, Nyanga, and Mfuleni, along with Samora Machel, Elsies River, Bishop Lavis, Ravensmead, and Gugulethu.

In recent weeks, the murders of three-month-old Moegsien Isaacs in Bontehuewel and Wallacedene girl Esmine Franke, 11, have made headlines.  

Damoyi said: “During the period April 1 to August 31, a total of 63 children were murdered in the Western Cape.

“These are operational stats, so during auditing, they might change.”

He said children aged 15 to 17 accounted for 71% of the murders during the five months, while 11% were between 11 and 14 years old.

Eleven percent were aged up to five, and 6% were aged 6 to 10.

Damoyi said that gang violence was behind 22% of the murders. 

The committee also heard that 557 children aged between one day and 19 years were killed between 2022 and 2024.

Social development department head, Dr Robert Macdonald said: “If you look at the pattern, you'll see that the majority of the murders are occurring in the 15 to 19-year age group."

“There is also an increase among children aged 10 to 14 compared to the younger age groups. This primarily points to the high incidence of gang violence and the involvement of teenagers in gang shootings and gang activity. The primary driver of child murders in the Western Cape is gang activity.”

Macdonald said in many cases, community members turn to gangs to meet their policing needs, social support, and even employment opportunities.

"Children are under immense pressure to join gangs. It is extremely difficult for them to resist, not only because their personal safety often depends on gang affiliation, but also because they may have older family members already involved. There are family connections - gang members are in the home, in the family, and in the neighbourhood."

This comes after police teams discovered 19 firearms, an assortment of 1500 rounds of ammunition, three gun safes, 26 magazines, a stun grenade, silencer and shooting practice target board concealed in cooler boxes and safes in a house in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain.

Mitchells Plain CPF Public Relations Officer Linda Jones said: “As the CPF we welcome this initiative taken by our Law Enforcement agencies but this is just a drop in the ocean we believe amidst this great break through the killings continue. 

“We are grateful for these operations and want to plead please arrest these gang leaders, keep them for 48 hours, get their profiles prepared and keep them behind bars. 

“Appoint special detective units to work on this. Get the most experienced guys. So often the lack of completing the statements and making sure the docket lacks no information before it is presented to court.

“We are having too many provisional withdrawals due to little evidence. Delays in reports is what hampers our courts.”

Cape Times