CRIME NEWS - Between 2022 and 2024, 557 children lost their lives in the Western Cape due to violent crime. The killing of children aged 10 to 14 years, rose from 24 in 2023 to 32 in 2024.
In 2024 alone, 197 children were murdered in the province.
Between 1 April and 31 August 2025, SAPS recorded 63 child murders across the Western Cape.
Most of these killings took place in known gang-afflicted areas:
- Kraaifontein – 11.1%
- Philippi East – 7.9%
- Delft – 6.3%
- Nyanga – 6.3%
- Mfuleni – 6.3%
SAPS briefing
These shocking statistics came to light today when the Standing Committee on Social Development was briefed by the Western Cape Department of Social Development and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The briefing centered on the coordinated interventions, data-driven strategies and legislative measures aimed at addressing the alarming surge in child killings across the province.
Wendy Kaizer-Philander, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development said the party is deeply concerned about the violence directed at children and the role that gangs and organised crime continue to play in these acts of brutality.
"These killings are not random - they are a direct symptom of communities held hostage by criminal networks, where children are often caught in crossfires or deliberately targeted to send a message.”
"We commend the efforts of the Western Cape Department of Social Development and SAPS for their multi-sectoral and data-driven responses. However, these interventions must be intensified, better coordinated and sufficiently funded."
She called on national government to partner more robustly with the province and invest in:
- Increased visible policing and intelligence-led operations in high-risk areas.
- Expanded social services for children and youth exposed to violence.
- Community-based gang prevention and early intervention programmes.
- Strengthening the criminal justice system to ensure swift and effective prosecution of perpetrators.
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