The toll of Cape Town’s unending gang war

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The Western Cape gang crisis is at fever pitch. The latest stats show nearly 100 people were killed in gang violence every month for the past six months. Families are shattered, police detectives are strained to capacity, and trauma doctors are burnt out. We give the “War at Home” in Cape Town a face with journalist, Lisalee Solomons. Later, in our trending topic, with a win over Ghana under their belt, Bafana brace for a tough Afcon tournament in Morocco. And finally, On This Day in SA History in 1923, the country heard its very first experimental radio broadcast. You can send our host, broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer, a voice note with your questions or thoughts on the show: 072 562 3179. To advertise in the show: thelead@24.com. Full editions drop Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
Chapters
  • 00:01 Graeme's intro
  • 02:06 Crossing with Lisa-Lee Solomons on Cape gang war
  • 19:35 How do schools operate in gang violence?
  • 29:36 Rauby's Round Robin
  • 39:32 Trending topic: Bafana's Afcon chances, with Tashreeq Vardien
  • 41:55 On This Day in SA History: First radio broadcast experiment
18 Dec 2025 English South Africa News · Society & Culture

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