Persistence of Youth Gang Violence in South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa, gang violence continues unabated particularly in black and colouredtownships. The question addressed in this paper is why youth continue to be involved ingang violence despite South Africa being deemed the most developed African country.The response to this question goes just beyond economic reasons and includes youngmen and the expression of their masculine power. In this paper we reveal the ways inwhich young men continue to be involved in gang violence and their consequences. Thepaper is based on an ethnographic study from 2017 to 2018. It draws on two blacktownships of Gugulethu and Nyanga East in Cape Town South Africa.Keywords: South Africa, Gang, Youth, Violence, MasculinityGodfrey Maringira, Senior Postdoctoral, University of Western Cape, Email: gmaringira@gmail.comTyanai Masiya,  Lecturer, University of Pretoria,  Email: masiyat2008@gmail.com