16 Aug 2013

Gang violence in South Africa closes schools

10:31 am on 16 August 2013

South African authorities have temporarily closed 16 schools in a Cape Town suburb, keeping about 12,000 children at home, following a surge in gang violence.

At least 50 people have been killed in gang-related violence in Cape Town's low-income Manenberg suburb in recent weeks.

The spike in violence has forced the provincial premier to ask the national government to deploy the military to help overwhelmed police.