At least 30 people were gunned down in separate shooting incidents across Cape Town during a bloody weekend that included the killing of two brothers in Grassy Park and a well-known mechanic in Strandfontein.
The death toll was compiled from weekly reporting at murder scenes, police confirmations and statements relating to mass shootings.
The killings were reported in several Cape Town communities, including Mitchells Plain, Grassy Park, Elsies River, Manenberg, Bellville, Steenberg, Strandfontein and Lavender Hill.
The latest bloodshed came despite increased police visibility and additional deployments following a series of gang-related and taxi-related shootings in September and October.
The South African Police Service’s Anti-Gang Unit has now been brought into the latest investigations. The unit is already dealing with a growing caseload across the Western Cape.
The weekend shootings were separate incidents. Police have not said that all 30 deaths were connected or that one gang was responsible for the killings.
Brothers killed in Grassy Park drive-by
Among those killed were brothers Dorian Skippers and Junaid Simons, who died in a shooting in Glen Close, Grassy Park, on Sunday night.
Three men, aged between 22 and 39, were killed in the attack. A fourth victim was wounded and taken to hospital.
According to Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel FC van Wyk, a white Toyota Tazz stopped outside a house where the men were gathered before its occupants opened fire.
“The occupants of the vehicle opened fire on the victims before fleeing the scene. Three victims were declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel, while the fourth was taken to a medical facility for treatment,” Van Wyk said.
Detectives are investigating three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
News24 reported that Skippers and Simons were struck by numerous bullets, including shots to their faces, and died at the scene.
Their family was too devastated to speak publicly about the scene they encountered after neighbours alerted them. A close family friend, Shelly Brown, described the deaths as “beyond painful”.
Brown said the brothers were inseparable and relied on one another for support.
“How do we move on from this? How does any family move on from such a cruel killing? These brothers were each other’s strength and comfort, and they did everything together. The fact that they both died together is such a bitter pain to swallow,” Brown said.
She said the brothers had been planning a trip for next year and had been saving for it since 2024.
Brown described them as passionate soccer and rugby supporters who followed the latest sports news.
“They were fun, overly protective of one another, helpful and had hearts of gold,” she said.
The family has called on police to arrest those responsible and said they wanted the perpetrators to “never see the light of day again”.
No arrests have been announced in the Grassy Park case.
Strandfontein mechanic shot at garage
In a separate incident, 31-year-old Strandfontein mechanic Brent Benjamin was shot dead while cleaning his garage in St Helena Close.
Two other people were wounded in the attack and taken to a medical facility.
Van Wyk confirmed that no arrests had been made and said the motive was under investigation.
“Police registered a murder and two counts of attempted murder following a shooting incident at about 17:30 at a premises in St Helena Close, Strandfontein, in which a 31-year-old male was shot and fatally wounded and two others injured. The injured victims were taken to a medical facility for treatment,” he said.
Benjamin was known in the community for his mechanical skills and knowledge of cars.
Friends and family posted tributes online after his death.
“Brent, seriously gone way too soon. Your presence will be dearly missed. May your soul rest in peace,” one tribute read.
Another person wrote: “You are already missed by so many, my brother. Fly high.”
Benjamin’s killing brought the Strandfontein murder toll to nine after a series of shootings in different streets during October, according to the supplied report.
The incidents led residents and crime activists to call for more police resources in an area that had previously been regarded as relatively quiet.
Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Sizakhele Dyantyi confirmed that more resources had been sent to Strandfontein and said the investigations were continuing.
“In terms of resources, more had been sent to that area, with the investigations still ongoing. At this stage, no arrests have yet been made,” Dyantyi said.
More police deployed after weekend killings
Mitchells Plain sub-district police commissioner Brigadier Khutala Masakala said further deployments were required after the latest killings.
Her policing area includes Mitchells Plain, Strandfontein, Grassy Park and Steenberg.
The Anti-Gang Unit, Operation Shanela and Operation Prosper are among the interventions being used to stabilise affected communities.
Masakala said more than 10 police vehicles were deployed daily in the Mitchells Plain policing area, with additional resources sent to affected neighbourhoods.
The operations are intended to increase police visibility, identify suspects, recover illegal firearms and prevent further attacks.
The latest deployments come after a mass shooting in Lavender Hill last month in which five people were killed inside a home during a braai. Three other people were wounded and required medical treatment.
No arrests have been announced in connection with that shooting.
Dyantyi said after the Lavender Hill attack that additional deployments would remain in the area.
The police response now covers several communities where residents have reported repeated shootings, including areas already dealing with long-running gang disputes and firearm violence.
Gang violence remains concentrated in Cape Town hotspots
A 2026 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime said gang-related violence in the Western Cape had reached intolerable levels. It reported that gang-related murders during the first six months of 2025 were 58 higher than in the same period in 2024, while such murders had already doubled between 2020 and 2024.
The organisation identified clusters of violence in socially and economically marginalised communities, including Mitchells Plain, Manenberg, Elsies River and other Cape Flats areas.
It said the Western Cape’s gang landscape had become more fragmented, with splinter groups and new gangs challenging established organisations for territory and illicit profits.
That fragmentation can make shootings more difficult to predict because rival groups may fight former allies as well as longstanding enemies.
The Global Initiative report identified drug markets, territorial control, extortion and access to firearms as important factors in the province’s gang violence.
It also warned that violence affects residents who have no involvement in gangs and that witnesses often fear reprisals if they provide information to police.
Grassy Park, Lavender Hill, Mitchells Plain, Manenberg and Elsies River have all experienced serious shootings in recent months. The latest weekend death toll does not mean that every killing was gang-related, but the concentration of incidents has placed further pressure on police and communities.
Anti-Gang Unit faces growing caseload
The Anti-Gang Unit is investigating the latest Grassy Park murders and is involved in broader efforts to disrupt gang activity in affected areas.
Its work may include tracing vehicles used in shootings, identifying suspects, recovering firearms, linking cases through ballistic evidence and gathering intelligence about gang rivalries.
The unit’s involvement does not by itself establish the motive for a specific killing.
In the Grassy Park case, police have not said why the four men were targeted or whether the attackers and victims were known to one another.
In Strandfontein, the motive for Benjamin’s murder also remains under investigation.
The absence of arrests in several recent mass shootings has increased pressure on investigators. Families are demanding answers while residents fear that unresolved killings could lead to retaliation.
The Global Initiative has said policing strategies should focus on clusters where violence is concentrated and should improve cooperation between police, prosecutors and affected communities.
The organisation also identified a need for better support at vulnerable police stations and stronger action against corruption that allows gangs to operate.
Police appeal for information
Masakala appealed to anyone with information about the latest shootings to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or the relevant station commanders.
Residents can contact Mitchells Plain station commander Brigadier Brian Muller on 060 980 3210.
Information about the Grassy Park shootings can be reported to station commander Colonel Van Wyk on 082 469 3036.
Residents should not confront suspects or attempt to investigate shootings themselves. Information can be provided directly to police and, where available, through anonymous reporting channels.
The weekend’s killings have left families mourning across Cape Town and have added to the pressure on a police service already dealing with multiple violent-crime investigations.
For the families of Dorian Skippers, Junaid Simons and Brent Benjamin, the statistics represent loved ones who will not return home.
For residents, the concern is whether increased police visibility will prevent the next shooting or arrive only after another family has been devastated.
The investigations remain ongoing, and no arrests have been announced in the cases highlighted in this report.