Police have intensified their presence in the Kalksteenfontein area near Bishop Lavis on the Cape Flats following a deadly shooting on Thursday night that left three men dead and four others wounded. The incident is believed to be gang-related.
The victims were sitting outside a residence when they came under attack. According to police reports, a vehicle approached the group, and three armed suspects emerged before opening fire randomly. The gunmen then fled in the same vehicle. The deceased include two elderly men, aged 64 and 66, as well as a 40-year-old. The four injured individuals were transported to a medical facility for treatment.
Western Cape police spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed that the Western Cape’s Anti-Gang Unit is investigating the case, which has been registered as three counts of murder and four attempted murders. Potelwa stated that deployments have been bolstered in the Bishop Lavis area to prevent any further incidents.
The shooting has heightened concerns among community members and organizations amid a reported surge in violent crime and mass shootings across the Cape Flats. The Bishop Lavis Crime Prevention Forum highlighted that police are struggling to effectively address the escalating violence due to the widespread influx of illegal firearms. A representative from the forum noted that while it is unclear whether the incident signals an internal gang war, there are clear signs that something serious is brewing, with concerning patterns of community-level violence and repeated mass shootings.
The Cape Crime Crisis Coalition described the wave of violent crimes and mass shootings as organized violence directed against communities on the Cape Flats. The group emphasized that such incidents, including multiple mass shootings in a short period, are far from normal crime. They stressed that these massacres will persist until gang networks and the illegal gun economy supporting them are dismantled. The coalition pointed to the profound devastation experienced by communities in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, where mass murder has become disturbingly normalized.
Residents expressed deep fear and frustration over the ongoing violence. Community voices described crime in the Cape Town and Cape Flats areas as completely out of control, with contributing factors including poverty, unemployment, and rampant gangsterism. Some noted that gangs exploit vulnerable unemployed individuals to advance drug enterprises. Criticism was also directed at policing efforts, with calls for greater cooperation between police, metro police, and city authorities, as well as building trust with the community to combat the problem effectively.
One resident questioned the absence of adequate protection, asking where the police and neighborhood watch initiatives were amid the chaos. Others described the situation as disturbing and out of hand, with young people showing no respect for elders, freely carrying illegal guns, and contributing to a sense of disorder in the communities.
Police continue to investigate several mass shooting incidents that have occurred across the Cape Metro in recent days, as authorities work to restore safety in affected areas.
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