Politicising violent gangs in selected Southern African countries : a comparative review of violent crime

Abstract

this study explores the politicisation and violence associated with criminal gangs in three Southern African countries. A qualitative meta-synthesis of sixty reputable articles from scholarly databases, including Science direct, SAGe, Google Scholar, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and Taylor & Francis, reveals that gangs emerged from socioeconomic disparities, marginalisation, and weak governance in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. criminal gangs have evolved into powerful entities due to their entanglement with political structures, influencing governance, security, and the economy. corruption, state-sponsored violence, and political manipulation sustain their existence, aided by economic marginalisation, persistent poverty, widespread youth unemployment, and illicit economies like drug trafficking and illegal mining. Many gangs function as political tools, orchestrating electoral violence, controlling resources, and territorial disputes, blurring crime and political activism. their activities destabilise communities, erode trust in institutions, and hinder economic development. Gang power is reinforced by selective law enforcement, political patronage, and corruption insecurity agencies, rendering conventional policing ineffective. combating gang violence requires policy measures beyond militarised crackdowns; community policing, restorative justice, and social reintegration programmes can mitigate gang influence and decrease their exploitation by political actors. without broad reform, criminal-political networks will continue to threaten state legitimacy and regional stability.