In the last quarter, hundreds of shootings have rocked gang territories in the Western Cape. Between June and July alone, some 200 people were shot and killed or wounded. Aggressive pushes for territory continue.

In this issue, we focus on:

• The impact of the trial of alleged 28s gang leader Ralph Stanfield and 12 others on the streets. Has it intensified a power vacuum, or does Stanfield allegedly still exert substantial control?
• The disappearance of alleged Terrible Josters leader Peter Jaggers, a missing cocaine consignment and the practice of cocaine ‘drop-offs’ in international waters along the Western Cape coast.
• A weekend of killings, the cycle of extortion and a seemingly endless supply of guns and ammunition fuelling violence in Cape Town’s gangland.
• How gangsters voted in South Africa’s historic 2024 election and where they think the Government of National Unity is headed.

This series of bulletins will continue to track developments in Western Cape gang dynamics each quarter to provide a concise synthesis of relevant trends to inform policymakers and civil society. The monitor draws on information provided by field researchers working in gang-affected communities of the Western Cape. This includes interviews with current and former gang members, civil society and members of the criminal justice system.