Gun violence continue to plague communities on the Cape Flats. In the latest incident, two victims were shot in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain , on Saturday evening.
‘’ Mitchells Plain police responded to a complaint
on Saturday 10 May 2025. Upon arrival near the corners of Cadilac and Riley
Streets, they were informed that two victims sustained gunshot wounds and were
transport to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The unknown suspects fled
the scene and they are yet to be arrested,’’ said Warrant
Officer Joseph Swartbooi, Western Cape police spokesperson.
He says the motive for this attack are unknown at this
stage.
Mitchells Plain police are investigating two counts of
attempted murder.
Anyone with information about this incident are urged to call
Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
These incidents come after two teenagers were shot and killed,
while another older man was injured, in two separate incidents across the Cape
Flats on Thursday.
In the first incident, an 18-year-old male was found with
gunshot wounds to his face in Mohan Crescent, Gatesville. According to the
Athlone Community Policing Forum, while the shooting was deemed gang-related,
it remains unclear whether the teen was the target of a premeditated hit or if
he was caught in crossfire.
The other teen, a 17-year-old male was found on the side of
the road with fatal gunshot wounds in Rolbal Street, Beacon Valley in
Mitchell’s Plain.
According to Sergeant Wesley Twigg, the teen and a
35-year-old male were sitting on the pavement when they were approached by a
Volkswagen Polo.
‘’The occupants opened fire on the victims before fleeing the scene. The teen was declared dead on the scene while the older man was transported to a medical facility for treatment.’’
Meanwhile, there were more than 350 shooting incidents reported in the past month in areas of Nyanga, Hanover Park, Manenberg, and Lavender Hill. This is according to the City of Cape Town who attributed this to its Shot Spotter programme - a device which tells them where gunshots are fired
‘’ This morning, past 5am, 2 gunshots rang out on
the streets of Hanover Park. No one called to report it, so SAPS would never
have known. But we knew about it... In less than a minute, we had the exact
location from our Shotspotter system. We immediately dispatched our resources
and notified SAPS.
For years, firearm violence has been ignored. Unless
someone died, no police case was ever opened, and without the docket, no record
was established. There was never any proof why these areas needed more boots on
the ground from SAPS. We knew we needed the evidence, so we could compel
national government to send more reinforcements to these stations. Our communities
deserved better.''
‘’In a bold move, our municipality funded the Shotspotter
program in the 4 areas we suspected as being the worst affected. And we were
right! In the last 28 days, the communities of Nyanga, Hanover Park, Manenberg,
and Lavenderhill have endured over 350 shooting incidents, where we have
immediately notified SAPS and sent our members as well. With the right
coordinates, we respond to the exact location. This has already allowed us to
recover hundreds of firearms and perform even more arrests, said JP Smith, MMC
for Safety & Security.
COURTESY: Facebook - JP SmithSmith says additional resources are needed for more police
on the ground and more detectives.
‘’Those arrested must have their crimes investigated, and
they need to be convicted in court and removed from society, not just released
and recycled back into the community.
Done by: Mitchum George
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