‘While the Western Cape provincial government continues to maintain a disturbing and morally indefensible silence on a far more deadly, persistent and entirely human-made catastrophe, people continue to die.’ MacMaster said. Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile has previously warned that illegal firearms and ongoing turf wars continue to fuel bloodshed. ‘Gangs are responsible for a large portion of violent crime in the Western Cape, and firearms remain the weapon of choice,’ he said. Stronger interventionsThe debate over declaring a provincial disaster has also reached political leadership. Activists warn that without decisive action, gangsterism will continue to erode safety, development and human dignity in the Western Cape.