News24 | Dead ground: The roots of an escalating gang war

Dead ground
Noun · (military) an area of ground hidden from an observer due to undulations in the land. An area of land that cannot be targeted from a specific position due to the shape of the terrain.

After years of escalating gang violence on South Africa's Cape Flats, President Cyril Ramaphosa deploys the South African National Defence Force. Three weeks later, another teenager is shot dead while soldiers patrol five minutes away.

DEAD GROUND is a News24 documentary that traces the roots of an escalating gang war and examines whether soldiers trained for combat can resolve a crisis forged by decades of poverty, displacement, and institutional neglect.

Through the voices of the Cape Flats – a gang member, grieving mothers on both sides of the crossfire, a coach who shaped young lives through discipline, and a pastor whose ceasefire programme once quieted the streets – the film reveals a crisis with known solutions that remain unfunded.

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News24 Visual Director: Wynand Louw
Director and producer: Luke Daniel
Design: Mihle Mdashe
Subbing: Danni Marais