Gangs, devil worship and African witchcraft: Toward the development of a contemporary typology for occult-gangs

• In Event: EUROGANG Panel: Gangs Experiences, Appearances and Complexities

Abstract

The Free State province in South Africa is noted to have the highest prevalence of criminal youth gangs that incorporate elements of devil worship and African witchcraft in their practices. The escalation in gang violence and continued reports of devil worship, demonic possession, witchcraft and other occult rituals have prioritised the need for focused intervention and more robust gang-prevention strategies in the province. However, limited empirical studies and the dearth of research engaging gang members directly, present challenges in the management of gangs and gang violence. These concerns are amplified by the absence of a cohesive typology that integrates occult practices within existing gang classifications. Grounded in the subcultural and cultural transmission perspectives, the current study draws on qualitative data to explore extant gang typologies, distinguish Free State gangs from more traditional street gangs, and present a contemporary typology for occult-gangs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 gang members, 16 non-gang-affiliated offenders and 18 criminal justice professionals, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings confirmed the integration of devil worship and witchcraft-related practices in gang operations, and identified key demographic features and distinct organisational structures. Moreover, occultism was embedded within gang symbolism, hierarchy, ideology and dynamics. The proposed typology enhances the understanding of occult-gang practices, and informs the development of empirically driven interventions, policies and rehabilitative strategies tailored to the esoteric philosophy characteristic of these groups. As the first attempt to explore occult-gang practices in the province from the direct perspective and lived reality of active gang members, this study makes a novel contribution to gang scholarship and criminological literature by addressing a gap in provincial gang research and discourse.

Author

• Ashwill Ramon Phillips, Lecturer, Department of Criminology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa