The DA has called on the Gauteng Provincial Government and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to intensify efforts to combat gun violence following the release of figures showing a sharp rise in shooting incidents across the province.

According to information disclosed by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in response to questions from the DA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, 2 802 shooting incidents were recorded between January 1 and May 11 this year, reports Kempton Express.

Of these incidents, 2 197 were linked to murder and attempted murder cases.

The figures show that the City of Johannesburg recorded the highest number of shooting incidents, with 1 077 cases, followed by the City of Ekurhuleni with 848.

Growing alarm over low conviction rates

The DA said the statistics highlight the growing impact of gun violence on communities across Gauteng, pointing to recent mass shootings, including the Cleveland incident in which 12 people were killed, as well as ongoing gang-related violence in areas such as Westbury, Eldorado Park and Bekkersdal.

The party also expressed concern over the number of arrests and prosecutions linked to the reported shooting incidents.

According to the information released, 609 arrests had been made, representing about 21% of the recorded cases, while 425 matters, or 15.1%, had been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for prosecution.

The DA argued that while some crime categories may have shown declines in recent SAPS crime statistics, the number of shooting incidents remains a significant concern and continues to affect communities across the province.

The ‘Catch, Convict and Clean’ strategy

The party has called on Lesufi and law enforcement agencies to strengthen efforts to remove illegal firearms from communities, improve investigations and increase successful prosecutions.

DA Gauteng spokesperson for Community Safety Michael Sun said the party’s proposed “Catch, Convict and Clean” strategy would focus on expediting investigations through a dedicated SAPS-NPA task team, targeting criminal networks responsible for illegal firearms, and introducing technology such as gunshot detection systems and smart cameras to support policing and improve community safety.

“We believe this approach will strengthen law enforcement, improve conviction rates and help make communities safer by focusing on those responsible for violent crime rather than law-abiding firearm owners,” said Sun.

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