UPDATE: Arrests for fatal Manenberg shooting, 5-year-old killed

A five-year-old, who was caught in gang crossfire in Manenberg on Monday, has succumbed to his injuries.

Western Cape police say the boy died in hospital on Wednesday after he sustained a gunshot wound to the head. The boy is said to have been walking along Irvine Street with his father to a nearby tuckshop when stray bullets struck him.

As such, the case docket has now changed to that of murder.

Provincial police spokesperson, Frederick Van Wyk, says an additional two charges of attempted murder are also being probed. According to the SAPS, two women, aged 31 and 54, were seated outside a residence and were also caught in the crossfire, sustaining injuries to the thigh and lower back.

Van Wyk notes that police have made progress in the case, having arrested three suspects.

“Three suspects aged 24, 26 and 31 were arrested on Tuesday, 2025-01-07 by Anti-Gang Unit detectives.”

They are due in court on Thursday.

This incident has reignited calls for action against gang violence in Manenberg, an area plagued by high crime levels. Manenberg Community Policing Forum (CPF) chair, Vernon Visagie, strongly condemned the incident and further criticised the silence of community members who witness such crimes.

“We have warned the community that if they don’t speak out, these are gonna be the consequences that they need to suffer for the rest of their lives.”

Visagie says the CPF will closely monitor this case, and work with SAPS to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Deputy Police Ministers Cassel Mathale and Polly Boshielo visited other Cape Town communities, namely Samora Machel and Atlantis, as part of a crime prevention initiative.

The SAPS says this imbizo is part of its ongoing efforts to find lasting solutions to address gun and gang violence.

This visit to Atlantis, in particular, follows over two months after a mass shooting claimed the lives of five people there. No arrests have been made in that case as yet, highlighting the ongoing struggle against violent crime in the region.