At least 22 children are among the reported 180 people killed in gang-related shootings Gqeberha in the past three years - with the majority of the murders having taken place in the city's notorious northern areas.
That is according to statistics provided by the Eastern Cape Department of Community Safety that was responding to questions by the Democratic Alliance in the provincial legislature.
A further 181 people were injured in the shootings during 2021 and 2023, of which 39 were confirmed to be children.
DA MPL Yusum Cassim said the war against rampant gangsterism received a boost when a motion brought by the party was unanimously passed.
"The motion passed in the Eastern Cape Legislature [on Tuesday] is a huge boost in the fight against the ongoing gang violence and killings in the northern areas of Gqeberha, that has left a trail of devastation in their wake," Cassim said.
He said the motion called for, among others, "a crime summit with all key role players to take place within 60 days to provide solutions to the scourge of violent crime".
"Heart-wrenching stories of tragedy continue to unfold, such as the case of 14-year-old Kurtley Roussow, struck down by a stray bullet in Bloemendal while playing with a soccer ball outside his home in June," he said.
Justin Malgas, 25, was also shot dead in the shooting and a 26-year-old man injured.
In July, the Arcadia community also mourned the senseless loss of a promising young soccer player, Larrigan Finnis, who was fatally shot in the back.
"These acts of violence are not confined to the young; the shocking and brutal murder of 89-year-old Sophie Erasmus in West End [on Saturday] serves as a grim reminder of the indiscriminate cruelty that plagues the community.
These are not isolated incidents, but rather indicative of the ongoing lawlessness, gang violence and chaos that plagues the Northern Areas of Gqeberha on a daily basis," Cassim said.
In a breakdown by the Community Safety Department, of the 361 gang-related shootings, a staggering 176 took place in the Gelvandale area, 138 in Bethelsdorp and 26 in Kamesh.
