Western Cape Police Commissioner, Thembisile Patekile , says gang-related murders remain high despite several alleged gang leaders being in prison.
Gang violence has been identified as the second leading cause of murders in the province, during the release of the latest crime statistics.
Patekile says the escalation of violence could be linked to the fierce competition for positions when leaders are arrested and 1,068 murders were recorded for the period between January and March.
He says, "65 of all recorded crime incidents happened in the Cape Town Metro. During this period, 208 killings, which account for 19.6 of all murders, were gang related. Most alleged gang leaders are currently before court on charges which include murder and the contravention of the organized crime act."
Patekile says this is a focused strategy.