A 74-year-old Manenberg mother was forced to confront every parent’s worst nightmare when she was wheeled past the lifeless body of her son after both were caught in a hail of bullets that formed part of a deadly weekend of shootings across the Cape Flats.
The woman, affectionately known in the community as Aunty Veronica, sustained a gunshot wound to her leg during the attack in Pecos Walk on Sunday night. Her 54-year-old son and his 38-year-old friend were shot and killed in the yard of their home.
The Manenberg shooting was one of several violent incidents that unfolded as the weekend drew to a close, pushing the death toll to 11 in separate attacks in Manenberg, Gugulethu and Kayamandi, Stellenbosch.
“They Are Not Gangsters”
Residents in Pecos Walk say the victims were not involved in gangsterism and were ordinary community members going about their evening when the gunfire erupted.
According to witnesses, the sound of rapid gunshots tore through the street shortly after 8pm, described by some as resembling a machine gun.
Community members allege that a black Toyota Yaris drove into Pecos Walk and stopped at the end of the road. Two men reportedly got out of the vehicle and approached the house where the victims were standing in the front yard.
Moments later, shots rang out.
A total of 27 cartridges were recovered from the scene, underscoring the intensity of the attack.
One shaken resident recounted how narrowly others escaped being hit.
“They are not gangsters, they’re normal citizens. When the shots rang off, I literally just stepped away from the gate to see my son off,” the resident explained.
In the aftermath, Aunty Veronica, wounded in the leg, was transported for medical treatment. As emergency personnel moved her from the scene, she had to pass the body of her son lying in the yard — a moment that has left neighbours devastated.
Police Confirm Murder and Attempted Murder Charges
Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that Manenberg police have opened cases of murder and attempted murder.
“Manenberg police registered two counts of murder and one of attempted murder following a shooting incident on Sunday evening, 26 July 2026, at about 8.05pm, in Pecos Walk, Manenberg, where two males age 38 and 54 were shot and fatally wounded and a 74-year-old female shot and wounded.”
No arrests have been reported in connection with the Manenberg shooting, and investigations are ongoing.
Five Killed in Gugulethu Attack
While Manenberg residents were reeling, another mass shooting unfolded in Gugulethu in the early hours of Monday morning.
A shooting at a residence in NY 50 left five young people dead and one injured after two armed suspects allegedly forced their way into the home.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut reported: “Police responded to reports of a shooting at a residence where they found the victims with multiple gunshot wounds.
“Four men and one woman, aged between 19 and 23, were declared deceased at the scene by medical personnel.
“A 20-year-old woman who sustained gunshot wounds was transported to a medical facility for treatment.”
The Gugulethu victims were all between the ages of 19 and 23, intensifying concerns about young lives being lost in recurring outbreaks of violence.
The motive for that attack has not yet been confirmed.
Gunfire Erupts in Kayamandi
On Sunday evening, hours before the Gugulethu incident and around the same time as the Manenberg shooting, police were also called to Kayamandi in Stellenbosch following reports of gunfire in 7th Avenue.
Traut confirmed that police are investigating four counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder linked to the incident.
“At approximately 5.35pm, members of Stellenbosch SAPS responded to reports of a shooting in 7th Avenue, Kayamandi, where they found an unidentified man who had sustained fatal gunshot wounds,” he said.
“While attending to the crime scene, the members heard further gunfire in the vicinity and immediately responded.
“As they approached the area, they encountered armed suspects who opened fire on them. The members returned fire, forcing the suspects to flee the scene.
“During the incident, two SAPS members and two members of the public, a man and a woman, sustained gunshot injuries and were transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment.”
Four men were killed in the Kayamandi violence, and several others — including police officers — were injured.
A Province on Edge
The spate of shootings has once again highlighted the persistent threat of gun violence in parts of the Western Cape, particularly in communities already grappling with socio-economic challenges and gang-related activity.
In Manenberg, residents insist the victims in Pecos Walk were not gang-affiliated, fuelling anger and fear among neighbours who say innocent lives are being caught in the crossfire.
For Aunty Veronica, the trauma of Sunday night will not soon fade. Shot and injured, she not only survived the attack but was confronted with the unbearable sight of her son’s body as she was taken from the scene.
Across Gugulethu and Kayamandi, families are also preparing to bury loved ones lost in a single weekend of bloodshed.
Police investigations into all three incidents continue, with authorities yet to confirm any arrests. Community members with information are urged to come forward as detectives work to piece together the circumstances behind the coordinated violence that has left the province mourning yet another tragic weekend.
