Shootings plague Cape Town after another five people gunned down

Picture of Faizel Patel

By Faizel Patel

Senior Journalist


Police said all incidents are believed to be gang related.


The City of Cape Town has been plagued by shootings, with nearly 20 people killed in the past week.

Western Cape police say they have launched a manhunt after five people were gunned down and seven injured in several shooting incidents that occurred at different locations in Mitchells Plain on Thursday afternoon.

Shooting

Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the shooting happened after midday.

“Reports from the scene indicate that at approximately 12:30, five persons were shot at in a tuck-shop in Beacon Valley. Two died and three were injured,” Potelwa said.   

“Also in Beacon Valley, four other persons were shot at in another tuck shop. One died and three were wounded.

“In the third shooting incident, another person was shot and injured, also in Beacon Valley. In two other shooting incidents that occurred in Tafelsig and Town Centre, two fatalities were recorded, respectively,” Potelwa said.

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 Potelwa said all incidents are believed to be gang-related.

“Murder and attempted murder cases have been opened, and Anti-Gang Unit detectives are investigating the incidents.

Meanwhile, multidisciplinary deployments have been bolstered to prevent further occurrences. As the manhunt for the perpetrators continues, no arrests have been effected yet,” Potelwa said.

Arrest

On Tuesday,  a 35-year-old man was arrested in connection with a mass shooting that left seven people dead in Gugulethu in Cape Town.

The seven men were believed to have been socialising at the Kanana informal settlement when they were attacked early on Saturday morning.

Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said detectives attached to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit worked tirelessly to uncover the circumstances surrounding the mass murder of the men.

Cape Town shootings

On Sunday, two people were murdered in Bush Street, White City, Nyanga.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said preliminary reports revealed that unknown gunmen entered the dwelling and opened fire on the two victims, aged 23 and 25.

Last week, three people were killed in a vigilante-style attack at the Samora Machel informal settlement on Wednesday.

It is understood that the bodies of three men, aged between 26 and 35, were discovered around 8 am in different locations within close proximity of each other.

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