Cape Town – A wave of gang-related violence has gripped the Western Cape, with a triple murder in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain, adding to a grim tally of seven deaths and five injuries in recent days. The latest incident claimed the lives of an e-hailing driver and two passengers, prompting urgent calls for enhanced police action.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday morning, 17 June, at approximately 11:10 at the intersection of Merrydale Avenue and Highlands Drive in Lentegeur. According to police reports, an e-hailing Honda sedan came under attack by assailants travelling in two vehicles. The gunmen opened fire on the occupants, killing all three.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed that detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit are investigating the fatal shooting. "Anti-Gang Unit detectives are following up on all available leads in an effort to apprehend those responsible for a fatal shooting incident that occurred earlier today, claiming the lives of three individuals," said Traut.
The victims were identified as the e-hailing driver, whose age is yet to be confirmed, and two passengers: a 38-year-old male and a 36-year-old female. All three sustained fatal gunshot wounds and were declared dead at the scene.
Colonel Traut stated that the motive for the triple murder is believed to be gang-related. "The e-hailing driver, a male whose age is yet to be confirmed, and two passengers, a 38-year-old male and a 36-year-old female, sustained fatal gunshot wounds and were declared deceased on the scene," he confirmed.
"One of our colleagues has been shot. The information I have is that he picked clients he didn’t know were part of a gang. When they reached a stop sign or traffic light, they were all shot and killed," said Hlabisa.
Hlabisa expressed his grief and called on the police to bring the perpetrators to justice. "This is one of our colleagues. It is so sad to hear the news. It's a very painful thing. I hope cops will do everything to ensure those behind the shooters are brought to book. Remember, this driver woke up to go and work for his family, but unfortunately, he will not be able to go back to his family at the end of the day," he added.
Lentegeur Community Policing Forum (CPF) Michael Jacobs echoed these sentiments, stating that he is aware of the ongoing gang conflict in the community, particularly between the Fancy Boys and American gangs.
While acknowledging that the e-hailing driver was an innocent victim, Jacobs said of the male passenger and the female passenger: “It’s alleged to be an American and his girlfriend."
“There was a killing on Friday in Lentegeur when a gang member was shot dead. So this seems to be revenge," he added.
“There has been intense fighting between the Fancy Boys and the Americans and it has also spilled into the Beacon Valley area."
Jacobs called for a thorough investigation and urged community members to assist the police with any information they may have, anonymously if necessary, to protect themselves. "There needs to be a thorough investigation and we want the issue to be resolved as soon as possible and that the perpetrators are brought to book," he said.
“We call on policing agencies to act swiftly and also call on the community to assist SAPS with any information that is at their disposal, but to hand it over anonymously to protect themselves.”
The Lentegeur triple murder is just one incident in a series of gang-related shootings that have plagued the Western Cape in recent days. On Monday evening, a 47-year-old man was killed, and four others, including a baby, were wounded in a shooting at the Siyahlala informal settlement in Nyanga.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that Nyanga detectives are investigating one count of murder and four counts of attempted murder. "Police members responded to a complaint of a shooting and found five victims with gunshot wounds. The 47-year-old was declared deceased on the scene. The other victims, aged between 30 and 40, were transported to a medical facility," said Twigg.
"According to reports, unknown suspects entered the premises looking for someone and opened fire before fleeing. They are yet to be arrested."
On Sunday night, three men, aged between 28 and 39, were killed in Philippi East during a shooting incident. A fourth man was wounded.
Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, expressed her concern over the escalating violence. "I note with concern the shootings in Philippi East, Philippi, and Lentegeur resulting in the deaths of seven individuals and five others wounded," she said.
Marais highlighted the proliferation of illegal firearms as a major contributor to the violence. "The proliferation of illegal firearms and ammunition is a major contributor to the spate of shootings and killings across various communities in Cape Town," she said.
She added that while the SAPS is making progress in confiscating illegal firearms, more needs to be done to target those supplying guns to local gangs. "The SAPS, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, is making great strides in confiscating illegal firearms and ammunition, but more needs to be done to get to those who are supplying guns and ammunition to local gang groups," she said.
Democratic Alliance Western Cape spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety, Thomas Walters, criticised the under-resourcing of police stations in the province, arguing that it hampers their ability to protect citizens.
"The DA in the Western Cape is deeply concerned by the insufficient staffing and resourcing of our police stations, which ultimately hampers their ability to protect our citizens and uphold the law," said Walters.
Walters called for a detailed action plan from SAPS to address violent crime in the Western Cape, including the allocation of additional resources. "We will once again demand a clear, detailed action plan from SAPS to deal with violent crime in the Western Cape. This plan must outline how additional resources will be allocated to combat crime in our province, with clear timelines for implementation," he said.
Police are urging anyone with information on the shooting incidents to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS mobile application anonymously. The recent surge in gang-related violence underscores the urgent need for a multi-faceted approach involving law enforcement, community engagement, and addressing the root causes of crime in the Western Cape.
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