333 children shot in six months – Report on Western Cape’s health and wellness

Action Society said it is shocked by a Western Cape Health and Wellness Department report revealing that 333 children were treated for firearm-related injuries at hospitals in the province in six months.

The civil rights organisation argued on Tuesday that gang violence is holding the province in a vice-like grip, with children caught in the crossfire.

The report looked at how violent crime affected children in the province between 1 January and 12 June 2024.

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“The numbers reveal a terrible and tragic reality,” said Kaylynn Palm, head of Action Society’s Action Centre.

Three children killed at barbershop

“How are we going to save our children? They are being shot as they walk to school or when they simply go to the barber for a haircut; some of them are as young as 12 months. Gangsters are killing our babies,” Palm added, referring to the three children and an adult who were shot dead at a barbershop in Qwarha Street in Site C, Khayelitsha

During the same period, 58 children lost their lives in shootings and 23 800 children were rushed to hospital for stabbings, blunt assault and gender-based violence. 

“There is nowhere safe for vulnerable children in these gang-infested areas of the Western Cape”, she said, adding that gangs have invested school grounds as well.

Hotspots for gang-related activities

Manenberg, Hanover Park, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha and Nyanga have been identified as hotspots for gang-related activities.

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“These are known hotspots, and clearly more needs to be done to protect children. We are calling on the government for a focused and deliberate intervention to root out gangsterism and make these areas safe for children,” added Palm. 

“We can’t have a future in South Africa if our children aren’t safe to go to school or to get a haircut. It is our duty to foster an environment for children where they can live their lives peacefully, free of the fear of a stray bullet ending their lives or being a helpless and innocent victim of a senseless mass shooting,” concluded Palm.