At least 39 children have been murdered in the Western Cape since January.

This is according to quarterly crime statistics revealed by MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen.

Allen said during the corresponding period in 2022, 19 children were killed.

"Any child that is murdered concerns me deeply. It is unacceptable and has to stop. There is no way that we can justify child killings in any way," said Allen.

According to the MEC, the crime statistics also revealed that 382 murders recorded this year were committed using a firearm.

Last week, News24 reported that a 9-year-old boy from Manenberg was shot in the head after a family friend, a known gangster affiliated with the Hard Livings gang, fired a bullet while cleaning his gun outside the child's home.

Little Tiano Anthony was rushed to Red Cross Children's Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries the following day.

Tiano's mother, Berenice Anthony, 40, said she received a call from the hospital informing her that she needed to get there urgently as a decision had to be made regarding the life-support machine keeping him alive.

A heartbroken Berenice said, "His injuries were too much, and he was in so much pain."

According to the boy's aunt, Michelle Malgas, the family did not want the machine to be switched off, but medical staff told them there was nothing more they could do to save his life.

Western Cape police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, said a 34-year-old man has since been arrested for the boy's murder.

The latest child murder has raised concerns about gangsters openly handling their weapons in public.

Gun Free SA director Adele Kirsten told News24 that legislation is clear, in that when one obtains a competency certificate to own a gun, they must determine that they are competent to own a firearm.

"Part of the key element of competency is whether one understands the legislation in owning a gun, your duty and responsibility in safe storage of a firearm and under what circumstances you can discharge your firearm," Kirsten said.

She added that safe storage of any gun is vital. 

"It must be in a [gun] safe and the key to the safe must only be with the person who owns the gun," Kirsten said.

Cleaning a gun in a public space with the ammunition in the barrel is pure negligence, she added. 

Kirsten said, "It's reckless and a potential offence under the law."

She said it's unfortunate that in parts of the Cape Flats "children are always at risk" because these areas are usually riddled with crime and gangsters. 

"Whether children are specifically being targeted is what still needs to be proven as there isn't enough evidence to suggest this," said Kirsten.

Criminologist Guy Lamb said areas of the Cape Flats usually find gangs competing for territory and drugs, which results in one gang shooting at the other. And in most cases, children are caught in the crossfire.

"Given the areas in which this happens [houses] are quite small. Lots of children are playing in the streets because they don't have gardens. [When] gangsters are shooting randomly and wildly, children often get caught in the crossfire."

Lamb said there were also instances where gangs target children specifically because they want to hurt a family member of a rival.

"Often these children are family of other gangsters and they would want to emotionally hurt the gangsters by targeting their children," said Lamb.

The Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture's Marguerite Holtzhausen said the government is failing communities in the fight against gangsterism.

"As long as gangsters feel confident to continue their activities without consequences, children will not be safe on the street. Shootings are normalised, and often children go toward the gang fights to witness what is happening, which makes them more vulnerable."

Echoing Lamb's sentiments, Holtzhausen said it was "the norm" for children to play in the street in low socio-economic areas due to a lack of alternatives.

Homes are overcrowded, and there are not many programmes to attend.

She said that working with children from gang-ridden areas like Manenberg, Bonteheuwel, Delft and Kraaifontein, the exposure of children to gang violence, of which gun violence is just one form, was very disconcerting.

"Gang activity is also linked to the selling of drugs, which is a clear driver of domestic violence among our caseload. We have also heard that children as young as 6 are actively involved with gangs and sometimes in robbing people at gunpoint," said Holtzhausen.

She said their concerns as trauma counsellors are that the research is very clear that children exposed to violence without counselling and interventions are more likely to grow up to be adults that would simply go on to continue the cycle of violence.